A federal appeals court has declared that President Donald Trump's executive order aimed at limiting birthright citizenship is unconstitutional.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco upheld a previous ruling that blocked the nationwide implementation of the order, which sought to deny citizenship to children born in the U.S. to parents who are in the country illegally or temporarily.
In a 2-1 decision, the three-judge panel supported the earlier judgment made by U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour in Seattle, stating that the executive order's interpretation of citizenship was 'fundamentally flawed'
Although the Supreme Court has placed restrictions on lower courts issuing nationwide injunctions, the 9th Circuit found that this case fell within an exception recognized by the justices.
States had initiated the lawsuit against the Trump administration, arguing that a nationwide injunction was necessary to prevent complications arising from the potential outlawing of birthright citizenship in certain states.
Judges Michael Hawkins and Ronald Gould, both appointed by former President Bill Clinton, concluded that the district court acted appropriately in granting a universal injunction to ensure comprehensive relief for the states.
The Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment asserts that individuals born or naturalized in the U.S. are citizens, yet Department of Justice attorneys contend that this does not guarantee citizenship based solely on birthplace.
Trump's executive order would strip citizenship from children born to parents lacking legal or permanent status in the U.S., and the administration is currently facing approximately nine lawsuits nationwide challenging this directive.