- The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a nationwide injunction blocking President Trump’s executive order.
- The order aimed to restrict birthright citizenship for children born to undocumented or temporary-status immigrants.
- The ruling affirms that the order contradicts the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
- Four states — Washington, Arizona, Illinois, and Oregon — led the legal challenge.
The Big Picture
A federal appeals court has delivered a major legal blow to President Donald Trump’s attempt to curtail birthright citizenship. In a 2-1 decision issued Wednesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld a nationwide injunction that blocks enforcement of Trump’s executive order signed on his first day back in office.
What’s New
The ruling marks the first time a federal appellate court has directly addressed the constitutional validity of the executive order, which sought to deny automatic citizenship to children born in the United States if their parents were undocumented immigrants or temporary visa holders.
The panel concluded that the order is “invalid because it contradicts the plain language of the Fourteenth Amendment’s grant of citizenship to ‘all persons born in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof,’” according to the official opinion published by the court here.
What They’re Saying
The majority opinion emphasized that the plaintiffs — the states of Washington, Arizona, Illinois, and Oregon — had standing due to potential administrative and economic impacts resulting from altered citizenship definitions.
What’s Next
The Department of Justice is expected to appeal the ruling, possibly seeking intervention from the U.S. Supreme Court. However, the current decision means the policy remains unenforceable nationwide.
Trump’s legal team has not yet commented publicly on whether a modified version of the order will be reintroduced or if additional executive actions are being considered.
The Bottom Line
The decision represents a significant check on presidential power and reaffirms the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship under the Fourteenth Amendment. As immigration remains a focal issue in the 2025 election cycle, the court’s ruling is likely to reignite debate on the scope of executive authority over citizenship laws.
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Read the official opinion published by the court Here.
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