In a significant legal development, a federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction against President Trump’s executive order to terminate birthright citizenship, marking a victory for the coalition of states opposing the measure. The order, issued on January 20, 2025, was challenged by Attorney General Anthony G. Brown, along with his counterparts in states including New Jersey, California, and Massachusetts, among others.
The injunction, granted by Judge Leo Sorokin of the District of Massachusetts, prevents the implementation of the executive order, which legal experts argue violates the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and the Immigration and Nationality Act. Birthright citizenship, a constitutional right dating back to the post-Civil War era, ensures citizenship to all children born in the U.S., irrespective of their parents’ immigration status.
The coalition, including Maryland, California, Massachusetts, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai’i, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, the District of Columbia, and the City and County of San Francisco, argued that the executive order would have drastic consequences. Thousands of children born in the U.S. would be denied citizenship, losing fundamental rights such as eligibility for federal programs, the ability to obtain a Social Security number, work lawfully, obtain a passport, vote, and serve on juries.
The states also highlighted the financial burdens the order would impose on them, including losses in federal funding and the cost of modifying state-operated benefits programs. The legal battle is set to continue, as the coalition vows to fight until the executive order is permanently blocked, ensuring protection for the Fourteenth Amendment rights of all Americans.
