Appeals Court strikes down Trump’s birthright citizenship order
Trump’s executive order aimed to deny automatic citizenship to children born on U.S. soil to undocumented immigrants or individuals with temporary visas.
A U.S. federal appeals court has ruled that former President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting birthright citizenship is unconstitutional, reinforcing a lower court’s decision to block the controversial policy across the country.
In its decision issued on Wednesday, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a nationwide injunction issued by a district judge in Seattle, rejecting claims that the ruling exceeded judicial authority.
Judge Ronald Gould, writing for the court, said, “The district court did not abuse its discretion in issuing a universal injunction,” arguing that restricting the ruling to one state would lead to confusion given the mobility of U.S. residents.
Trump’s executive order aimed to deny automatic citizenship to children born on U.S. soil to undocumented immigrants or individuals with temporary visas.
The move sought to reinterpret the 14th Amendment, which currently grants citizenship to anyone born within the United States. The court firmly rejected the policy, stating, “The Executive Order's proposed interpretation is unconstitutional. We fully agree with the district court’s conclusion,” Gould wrote.
The ruling comes at a time when federal courts are increasingly divided over the use of nationwide injunctions.
Although the U.S. Supreme Court recently expressed concern about judicial overreach in such cases, it did not directly rule on the constitutionality of Trump’s birthright citizenship directive.
However, the high court signaled that challenges could proceed through class-action suits.
In a related case, a federal judge has now certified a class-action lawsuit on behalf of all children who could have been denied citizenship under Trump’s order. The judge also issued a temporary injunction as the case continues through the courts.
Despite the legal hurdles, Trump has continued to frame past Supreme Court commentary on judicial powers as a victory for his administration, referring to it as a “giant win.” Still, several parts of his immigration agenda remain entangled in ongoing legal battles.
