A federal judge in Seattle temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's executive order, which aimed to end birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants or those with temporary status born on U.S. soil. Federal district judge John C. Coughenour deemed the order "manifestly unconstitutional."
Coughenour, nominated for the position by former President Ronald Reagan in 1981, pointed out that the 14th Amendment of the Constitution automatically grants nationality to anyone born on U.S. soil, regardless of their parents' immigration status. Trump's decree, signed a few hours after taking office last Monday, sought to overturn this constitutional provision.
Trump's order stipulated that children of undocumented parents or those with "temporary" status, such as a work visa, would not be able to obtain citizenship. This would mean that the State Department could not issue passports to such children and that the Social Security Administration would not recognize them as citizens, complicating their access to basic rights and the ability to work legally in the country.
Judge Coughenour's decision to block Trump's order responds to a lawsuit filed by 22 states with Democratic governments, which see this measure as a clear attempt to deny certain individuals their right to U.S. citizenship. The judge will maintain his decision for a period of 14 days, during which appeals could be filed against it. In this regard, Coughenour stated: "I don’t recall another case where the case presented is as clear as this one."
