US federal judge blocks Trump bid to restrict birthright citizenship
Judge’s action halts enforcement of policy for 14 days, calling it ‘blatantly unconstitutional’
A federal judge blocked Donald Trump’s attempt to restrict birthright citizenship in the United States as liberal states scored their first victory against the new president’s hardline agenda.
The ruling imposes a 14-day stay on the enforcement of one of the most controversial executive orders Trump signed in the hours after he was sworn into office for a second term.
“This is a blatantly unconstitutional order,” US District Judge John Coughenour was reported as saying during the hearing in Washington state on Thursday.
“I’ve been on the bench for over four decades, I can’t remember another case where the question presented is as clear as this one is,” said Coughenour, who was appointed by a Republican president, Ronald Reagan.
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Trump told reporters his administration would “obviously” appeal the ruling, while the Department of Justice said it would defend the executive order, which a spokesman said “correctly interprets” the US Constitution.