‘Blatantly unconstitutional’: US judge blocks Donald Trump’s order to end birthright citizenship

A judge in the United States on Thursday temporarily blocked an executive order by President Donald Trump that seeks to end birthright citizenship, calling it “blatantly unconstitutional”, reported Reuters.

On January 21, shortly after being sworn in as the US president, Trump signed a series of executive orders, including one to stop automatically granting citizenship to those born in the US in specific scenarios.

This came despite broad legal consensus that the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution guarantees birthright citizenship.

Twenty-two states, as well as several groups working on immigrants’ rights, filed at least five lawsuits against the order, the AP reported. A lawsuit filed by the states of Washington, Arizona, Oregon and Illinois was the first to be heard on Thursday.

“I’ve been on the bench for over four decades. I can’t remember another case where the question presented was as clear as this one is,” the AP quoted John Coughenour, the federal judge hearing the case, as saying. “This is a blatantly unconstitutional order.”

The court ruling prevents the United States government from implementing the order for 14 days. The case will be heard next on February 6.

Trump said his administration will appeal against the ruling.

Through the executive order on January 21, Trump directed federal agencies to refuse to automatically recognise citizenship for children who were born in the…

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