A federal judge in New Hampshire on Thursday, July 10, temporarily blocked former President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at restricting birthright citizenship and certified a nationwide class to protect the rights of all children born on U.S. soil.
Judge Joseph LaPlante announced the decision from the bench following a court hearing, stating a written order would follow. The ruling includes a seven-day stay to give the federal government time to appeal, according to the Associated Press.
The decision stems from a class-action lawsuit filed on June 27, shortly after the Supreme Court’s ruling in Trump v. CASA raised concerns about potential partial enforcement of the executive order. The case was brought by several civil rights organizations, including the ACLU, ACLU chapters in New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts, the Legal Defense Fund, Asian Law Caucus, and Democracy Defenders Fund. They filed the suit on behalf of a proposed class of babies who could be affected by the order.
The plaintiffs argued successfully for both a preliminary injunction and nationwide class certification. The court’s decision ensures that, even with the 7-day delay, the order is halted well before the July 27 date when partial enforcement might have begun.
Cody Wofsy, deputy director of the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project and lead attorney in the case, called the ruling “a huge victory,” stating, “We are fighting to ensure President Trump doesn’t trample on the citizenship rights of one single child.”
Devon Chaffee, executive director of the ACLU of New Hampshire, added: “The court affirmed once again that President Trump’s executive order to restrict birthright citizenship is a blatant violation of the Constitution.”
Morenike Fajana, senior counsel at the Legal Defense Fund, emphasized that the decision upholds the 14th Amendment: “Citizenship in the United States is a right by birth, not a privilege granted by politics.”
Other advocates highlighted the impact of the ruling on immigrant families nationwide. Aarti Kohli of the Asian Law Caucus noted that the executive order had created fear and confusion among expecting parents. “Today’s injunction brings relief and reaffirms that constitutional rights cannot be stripped away by executive decree.”
Tianna Mays of the Democracy Defenders Fund said the decision delivers clarity to millions of families: “The fight to uphold birthright citizenship is far from over, but this is a major step forward.”
Molly Curren Rowles, executive director of the ACLU of Maine, added: “This court has affirmed, again, that anyone born in the U.S. is a citizen — a critical stance as immigrant families face increasing threats.”
The ruling represents a strong judicial rebuke of efforts to challenge the constitutional guarantee of citizenship for all children born in the United States, regardless of parental immigration status.
