President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that his administration would appeal a federal judge’s ruling temporarily blocking his attempt to restrict birthright citizenship. The move comes after U.S. District Judge John Coughenour in Washington state ruled that the executive order was “blatantly unconstitutional.”
Trump, speaking from the Oval Office, expressed confidence that his administration would continue to fight for the order, telling reporters, “Obviously we will appeal it.” The Department of Justice also indicated it would defend the executive order, asserting that it “correctly interprets” the U.S. Constitution and promising to present a full argument to the court and the public.
The executive order, signed shortly after Trump’s return to office, sought to limit birthright citizenship, a principle enshrined in the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The amendment guarantees that anyone born on U.S. soil is automatically a citizen, regardless of their parents’ immigration status. Trump’s order argued that people in the country illegally or on a visa should not be considered “subject to the jurisdiction” of the U.S., and therefore not eligible for birthright citizenship.
Judge Coughenour, who was appointed by President Ronald Reagan, strongly disagreed with the order’s constitutionality. He described it as “blatantly unconstitutional” and challenged the Justice Department attorney defending it, saying, “It just boggles my mind” how someone could argue that the order was constitutional.
This ruling comes after 22 states, two cities, and various civil rights organizations filed lawsuits challenging the executive order. Many state officials hailed the decision, with Arizona’s Attorney General Kris Mayes declaring, “No president can change the constitution on a whim,” and Washington’s Attorney General Nick Brown calling the order “un-American.”
The legal challenge is not unexpected, as Trump’s critics argue that birthright citizenship has been settled law for over a century. They point to the 1898 U.S. Supreme Court case Wong Kim Ark, which affirmed that children born in the U.S. to immigrant parents are citizens.
Trump has continued to assert, albeit inaccurately, that the U.S. is the only country with birthright citizenship, though over 30 other nations, including Canada and Mexico, also have similar provisions.
The ruling represents a significant legal setback for Trump’s immigration agenda and has sparked broader debates over the scope of executive power and the interpretation of the 14th Amendment.
