It looks like a federal judge has ruined President Donald Trump’s plans. A federal judge agreed Thursday to issue a new nationwide block against Trump’s executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship.
The ruling from U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante is significant because the Supreme Court last month curbed the power of lower court judges to issue nationwide injunctions, while keeping intact the ability of plaintiffs to seek a widespread block of the order through class action lawsuits, which is what happened Thursday in New Hampshire.
Birthright citizenship in the United States is a legal principle that grants automatic U.S. citizenship to nearly everyone born on American soil. This right is guaranteed by the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1868, which states that all persons born or naturalized in the United States are citizens. This means that regardless of their parents’ nationality, immigration status, or legal presence, children born in the U.S. are generally considered American citizens at birth.
Birthright citizenship applies to almost all births on U.S. soil, including territories. It is a fundamental rule that distinguishes the U.S. from many other countries, where citizenship often depends on the nationality of the parents rather than the place of birth. This principle ensures equal legal status for those born in the country and affects immigration, social services, and civil rights.
READ: Trump’s birthright citizenship order on hold, but rollout plan moves forward (
In January, President Trump signed Executive Order 14160, titled “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship.” The order aimed to restrict birthright citizenship by redefining the 14th Amendment’s Citizenship Clause. It sought to deny automatic U.S. citizenship to children born in the United States to undocumented immigrants or those on temporary visas, such as students or workers.
The administration argued this change was necessary to preserve the integrity of U.S. citizenship and reduce illegal immigration incentives. However, the executive order faced immediate legal challenges, with several federal courts issuing nationwide injunctions blocking its enforcement. Critics argued the order violates the clear language and spirit of the 14th Amendment, which grants citizenship to nearly everyone born on U.S. soil.
As of October, the Supreme Court has been asked to review the order’s legality but has not yet taken definitive action, leaving the issue unresolved and birthright citizenship still largely intact.
Ruling from the bench, Laplante granted a request from immigration rights attorneys to certify a nationwide class that “will be comprised only of those deprived of citizenship” and issued a preliminary injunction indefinitely blocking Trump’s Day One order from being enforced against any baby born after February 20.
READ: Trump tariffs cause price high in essential goods (
“The preliminary injunction is just not a close call to the court,” Laplante said during a hearing. “The deprivation of U.S. citizenship and an abrupt change of policy that was longstanding… that’s irreparable harm.”
U.S. citizenship, the judge added, “is the greatest privilege that exists in the world.”
The White House called the ruling “an obvious and unlawful attempt to circumvent the Supreme Court’s clear order against universal relief.”
“This judge’s decision disregards the rule of law by abusing class action certification procedures. The Trump Administration will be fighting vigorously against the attempts of these rogue district court judges to impede the policies President Trump was elected to implement,” White House spokesman Harrison Fields said in a statement.
While the administration aims to curb birthright citizenship, the courts have made clear that any such changes require legislative action, not unilateral executive orders. As the Supreme Court considers the issue, birthright citizenship remains largely intact for now, preserving the legal status and rights of children born in the U.S. and affirming the nation’s commitment to equal citizenship.