A third federal judge has ruled against President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants. US District Judge Joseph N. Laplante in New Hampshire issued the ruling on Monday, following similar decisions from judges in Seattle and Maryland last week.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed the lawsuit, arguing that the executive order violates the Constitution and undermines one of the nation’s core values. Trump’s administration claims that children born to noncitizens are not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States and, therefore, are not entitled to citizenship.
In response to the ruling, the administration confirmed it is appealing the Seattle judge’s decision, which blocked the order earlier. Central to the case is the 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, which grants automatic citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil. The lawsuits also reference the landmark 1898 Supreme Court case United States v. Wong Kim Ark, which affirmed birthright citizenship, with exceptions for children of foreign diplomats, occupying enemy forces, foreign ships, and sovereign Native American tribes.
The ruling comes as part of an ongoing battle over birthright citizenship, a policy that is practised by approximately 30 countries, including those in the Americas, such as Canada and Mexico. The Trump administration’s efforts to challenge the principle of jus soli, or “right of the soil,” have sparked legal and political debates over the future of immigration policies in the U.S.
(With AP Inputs)