A federal district court judge on Thursday temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at limiting birthright citizenship — the first skirmish in what promises to be a protracted legal battle over the new administration’s agenda.
Senior U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour heard 25 minutes of arguments and then issued an order from the bench blocking the policy from taking effect for 14 days. There will be a further briefing on a preliminary injunction to permanently block the executive order while the case proceeds.
“I’ve been on the bench for over four decades,” Coughenour, a Ronald Reagan appointee, said. “I can’t remember another case where the question presented is as clear as this one. This is a blatantly unconstitutional order.”
The case comes as four states (Washington, Arizona, Illinois and Oregon) sought to block the order before it is supposed to take effect in late February. It’s one of five lawsuits filed by Democratic attorneys general and immigrant rights organizations challenging the order — which seeks to limit automatic birthright citizenship to children of U.S. citizens and green card holders — as unconstitutional.
