A federal judge in the United States has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s birthright citizenship order.
The ruling which comes on Thursday imposed a 14-day temporary block on the order.
The ruling has ignited debate in the immigration and constitutional rights space.
The order was signed just after Trump started his second term and was met with immediate outrage and lawsuits.
22 states, 2 cities and many civil rights groups filed lawsuits saying the order was unconstitutional.
At the hearing in Washington state, Senior US District Judge John Coughenour called the order “blatantly unconstitutional”.
Judge Coughenour, who has been on the bench for over 40 years, was appointed by Republican President Ronald Reagan.
He said, “I can’t remember another case where the question presented is as clear as this one is.”
Birthright citizenship has been a part of American identity for centuries.
The 14th Amendment to the US Constitution says anyone born on US soil is a citizen, no matter their parent’s immigration status.
The amendment reads: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”
But Trump’s order tried to reinterpret this clause saying people in the US illegally or on temporary visas were not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the country and therefore not citizens.
His interpretation directly challenged decades of legal precedent and the intent of the 14th Amendment.
The temporary block on the order shows the court is willing to look at actions that seem to undermine constitutional rights. And it highlights the bigger fight in the US over immigration policy and the balance of power between the executive and individual rights.
Now the big fight begins. Temporary win for birthright citizenship advocates. But it’s not over.