Federal Court Blocks Trump’s Plan to End Birthright Citizenship

US President Donald Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship has been blocked from taking effect nationwide by a federal judge in New Hampshire.

Federal Judge Joseph LaPlante issued a preliminary injunction after a hearing yesterday, temporarily halting the implementation of the executive order, according to the Associated Press. He also ordered that a class-action lawsuit be registered on this matter.

The court has paused the enforcement of Trump’s order for seven days. During this period, there is an opportunity to appeal against the decision. This ruling opens the way for the issue of birthright citizenship to reach the Supreme Court soon.

Just a few weeks ago, the Supreme Court ruled that district courts can be limited from issuing nationwide injunctions. However, it left open the possibility of achieving similar impact through class-action lawsuits.

At the center of the debate is the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution, which states that all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to its jurisdiction, are citizens of the country. The Trump administration argues that the phrase "subject to its jurisdiction" does not apply to everyone born in the US.