Washington: A US federal judge in Maryland has issued a ruling that once again blocks the Trump administration from denying citizenship to children born in the United States to parents who are either illegally in the country or on temporary visas. This decision marks the fourth time a nationwide court has ruled against President Trump's birthright citizenship order following a pivotal decision by the Supreme Court in June.
According to Anadolu Agency, US District Judge Deborah Boardman granted a preliminary injunction, following her earlier indication that she would do so if the case was returned to her by the appeals court. In late July, the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals sent the case back to Judge Boardman. This legal battle has kept the policy on hold, with other district courts and an appellate panel also opposing the birthright citizenship order since June.
On the first day of his second term, President Trump signed an order that sought to end automatic citizenship for US-born children of undocumented immigrants, non-citizens, or temporary visa holders. This directive instructed federal agencies to cease issuing citizenship documents to these children within 30 days.
In February, Judge Boardman issued a nationwide injunction against the order, but this was overturned by a Supreme Court ruling in June. The Court stated that nationwide injunctions should only be applied when necessary to provide complete relief. However, the order remains paused after a New Hampshire court issued a nationwide hold in a class action case. The Supreme Court has yet to decide whether states can continue to sue over the order. The government argues for a limited application of the block to only those states that filed lawsuits, while opponents argue that such limitations are ineffective due to the free movement of people across state lines.
In her latest ruling, Judge Boardman certified a class of all children born in the US after February 19, 2025, who would be impacted by Trump's order. She noted that the plaintiffs are 'extremely likely' to show that the order violates the 14th Amendment and would suffer irreparable harm if the policy were implemented.