A federal judge has temporarily blocked US President Donald Trump’s executive order that sought to end the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship in the United States.
On Thursday, 23rd January, US District Judge John C. Coughenour ruled in favour of a case brought by the states of Washington, Arizona, Illinois, and Oregon. The states argue that the 14th Amendment and Supreme Court case law have long established birthright citizenship.
This case is one of five lawsuits filed by 22 states and several immigrant rights groups across the country.
The executive order, signed by Trump on Inauguration Day, was set to come into effect on 19 February.
The lawsuits contend that the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution guarantees citizenship to individuals born or naturalised in the country, a provision states have upheld for over a century.
Democratic officials have also filed a request to fast-track the case, asking the court to rule on whether the executive order should be blocked before it is implemented.
