A US appeals court has upheld an order blocking President Donald Trump’s executive action aimed at ending birthright citizenship for children born to parents in the United States illegally. The emergency request, filed by the Justice Department, sought to overturn lower court rulings that had blocked the order since its issuance in January.
Trump’s executive order attempts to reinterpret the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution, which grants citizenship to anyone born on US soil. The order claims that this right does not apply to children of non-permanent residents or non-citizens, sparking widespread controversy.
A panel of three judges from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, including one appointed by Trump, denied the emergency request. Judge Danielle Forrest, a Trump appointee, stated that the government had not demonstrated the need for immediate relief. She emphasized that the district court’s temporary block had only been in place for three weeks and that the case did not warrant an expedited decision.
Trump’s executive order was initially set to take effect by February 19 but was blocked by a federal judge in January. The order has faced significant legal challenges, with around a dozen injunctions issued in response to nearly 40 lawsuits.
The Trump administration has also appealed to the Supreme Court in a separate case, seeking to allow the president to fire the head of a whistleblower protection agency. With three Trump-nominated justices on the Supreme Court, the judiciary is expected to play a crucial role in addressing the ongoing tension between the executive branch and the courts.
This ruling highlights the growing pushback against Trump’s executive actions and sets the stage for potential constitutional debates over the limits of presidential power.
