News Desk
WASHINGTON— A federal judge in Seattle on Thursday indefinitely blocked President Donald J. Trump’s executive order that sought to end birthright citizenship, delivering a significant setback to one of his most controversial immigration policies.
In a sharply worded ruling, U.S. District Judge John Coughenour accused the administration of attempting to circumvent the Constitution. “The rule of law is not an obstacle to be navigated around or ignored for political expedience,” Judge Coughenour said during the hearing, according to CNN. “If the government wishes to alter the exceptional American grant of birthright citizenship, it must amend the Constitution itself.”
“In this courtroom and under my watch, the rule of law is a bright beacon which I intend to follow,” Coughenour continued.
The ruling marked the second major legal defeat for Trump’s efforts to overhaul the immigration system in recent days. A day earlier, U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman in Maryland issued a similar nationwide injunction. Both orders will remain in effect while the case moves through the courts.
The Justice Department immediately appealed the decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, setting the stage for a protracted legal battle that could ultimately reach the Supreme Court.
Trump’s executive order, signed shortly after he took office for a second term on January 20, would deny U.S. citizenship to children born on American soil to parents who are not permanent residents. The policy sent shockwaves through immigrant communities, particularly among Indian nationals on temporary visas such as H-1B work permits, L intra-company transfers, and student visas.
For many, the order raised fears over their children’s legal status and future prospects. Without birthright citizenship, children of visa-holding immigrants could lose access to in-state tuition, federal financial aid, and scholarships. The uncertainty prompted some expectant parents to seek pre-term deliveries before the order’s deadline of February 20.
The ruling also brought renewed anxiety for families caught in the green card backlog, who worried that children born outside the U.S. could be forced to leave the country upon turning 21 if they lacked a valid visa.
While the administration has vowed to continue its legal fight, the latest ruling underscores the legal hurdles facing efforts to roll back longstanding immigration policies. For now, birthright citizenship remains protected, though the broader debate over immigration in the U.S. is far from settled.
