A U.S. federal judge on Wednesday blocked President Donald Trump’s attempt to restrict birthright citizenship, delivering a legal setback to one of his most controversial immigration policies.
The ruling, issued by District Judge Deborah Boardman in Maryland, indefinitely halts enforcement of Trump’s executive order, which was set to take effect nationwide on February 19.
“The denial of the precious right to citizenship will cause irreparable harm,” Boardman said during the hearing, as reported by the Washington Post. She emphasized that Supreme Court precedent firmly protects birthright citizenship and stated that Trump’s order “conflicts with the plain language of the 14th Amendment.”
“No court in the country has ever endorsed the president’s interpretation,” she added. “This court will not be the first.”
The decision follows a 14-day stay issued in January by a federal judge in Washington state, where U.S. District Judge John Coughenour condemned the order as “blatantly unconstitutional.” Trump has since vowed to appeal the ruling.
Birthright citizenship is enshrined in the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which grants automatic citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil. Trump’s executive order argued that individuals in the country illegally or on a visa were not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States, and therefore, their children should not qualify for automatic citizenship.
Opponents of the order pointed to a landmark 1898 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in United States v. Wong Kim Ark, which affirmed that children born in the United States—including those born to immigrants—are entitled to citizenship.
Trump’s order has sparked widespread criticism, with legal experts and civil rights advocates arguing that it undermines long-established constitutional rights. Despite the legal setbacks, the Trump administration is expected to continue its fight to redefine birthright citizenship.
