CONCORD, N.H. — A federal court in New Hampshire today blocked President Trump’s executive order that seeks to strip certain babies born in the United States of their U.S. citizenship.
The judge issued the preliminary injunction order from the bench in the lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of New Hampshire, ACLU of Maine, ACLU of Massachusetts, Asian Law Caucus, State Democracy Defenders Fund, and Legal Defense Fund on behalf of New Hampshire Indonesian Community Support, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), and Make the Road New York.
This is the latest in a series of court rulings rejecting Trump’s executive order since it was signed January 20.
“Today’s ruling is the latest rebuke of President Trump’s wildly unconstitutional bid to end birthright citizenship,” said Cody Wofsy, deputy director of the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project, who argued the case. “This attempt to deny babies their citizenship is as illegal as it is inhumane, and we will keep fighting until we stop this order for good.”
The groups made their case today before U.S. District Judge Joseph N. Laplante, arguing that the Trump administration was flouting the Constitution’s dictates, congressional intent, and longstanding Supreme Court precedent.
“The U.S. Constitution ensures that no politician can decide who among those born in this country is worthy of citizenship — a principle that the federal court in New Hampshire reinforced yet again today. President Trump’s executive order, now preliminarily enjoined in multiple lawsuits across the country, stands in flagrant opposition to our constitutional rights, values, and history. We are glad that the court agreed today that it is a blatant violation of our Constitution,” said SangYeob Kim, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of New Hampshire.