Court Rejects Trump’s Request To Reinstate Birthright Citizenship Ban
An appeals court upheld a ruling on Wednesday that blocks President Donald Trump’s attempt to end birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to parents who are in the country illegally.
The Justice Department had filed an emergency request in hopes of clearing the way for Trump’s executive order, which has been halted by lower district court judges since its issuance in January.
Trump’s order seeks to reinterpret the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil. The executive order claims this right should not extend to the children of anyone other than U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
In her ruling, the judge remarked that “deciding important substantive issues on one week’s notice turns our usual decision-making process on its head” and argued that the situation didn’t necessitate such an expedited decision.
Originally set to take effect by February 19, the executive order was first blocked temporarily by a federal judge in January, and that block has since been extended.
Trump’s executive orders have faced mounting resistance in the courts, with around a dozen injunctions issued across some 40 lawsuits.
In a separate legal challenge, the Trump administration made its first appeal to the Supreme Court on Sunday, seeking permission to fire the head of a whistleblower protection agency.
The Supreme Court, now with three justices nominated by Trump, is poised to play a key role as the president tests the boundaries of his executive power, with legal experts predicting potential constitutional challenges ahead as the judiciary continues to push back.
