Federal judge temporarily blocks Trump’s order to end birthright citizenship: What's next?

A federal judge has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to non-citizen parents. 

The ruling, issued earlier this week, halts the order from taking effect while legal challenges continue to unfold.

Here's what's happening

The executive order sparked immediate backlash from advocacy groups and legal experts who argue it directly contradicts the 14th Amendment, which guarantees citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil.

In his ruling, the judge called the order "boggling the mind," adding that it is likely unconstitutional and must be paused while the legal battle unfolds.

This decision comes as 22 states, including Maryland, have filed lawsuits against the executive order, arguing it unfairly targets immigrant families and violates fundamental constitutional rights.

What they're saying:

Advocacy groups such as CASA and the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP) are calling the ruling a major victory, but say the fight is far from over. CASA’s General Counsel, Nick Katz, emphasized the impact the order has already had on immigrant communities.

"I think the thing that’s upsetting to me and my members is that this has caused so much fear and confusion and harm already. These actions by the President have consequences even when they’re blatantly illegal, so it’s important to fight back against them," Katz said.

While advocacy groups celebrate the temporary halt, the Trump administration has vowed to appeal the decision. Legal experts say this battle could make its way to the Supreme Court.

For now, the judge’s decision means birthright citizenship remains the law of the land.

PDF: Read the judge's full order

What is birthright citizenship? 

The backstory:

The Citizenship Clause Doctrine of the 14th amendment of the Constitution dictates that anyone born on United States soil is automatically a citizen. 

The 14th Amendment was ratified in July 1868 after the Civil War. The amendment assured citizenship for all -- including Black people. 

But the 14th Amendment didn’t always translate to everyone being afforded birthright citizenship. F

or example, it wasn’t until 1924 that Congress finally granted citizenship to all Native Americans born in the U.S.

What we don't know:

Since birthright citizenship is enshrined in the Constitution, it’s not clear how the order will play out.

The next steps of implementing the order are also unclear, as Trump has spoken before about taking executive action to end birthright citizenship, steering Congress to pass a law to end it, or taking the issue "back to the people." 

The Source: FOX 5 reporting, Constitution Annotated

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