A federal judge in Seattle has issued a national temporary restraining order to prevent federal agencies from revoking birthright citizenship. This decision comes as a response to a lawsuit filed by the states of Oregon, Washington, Arizona, and Illinois. The lawsuit challenges an executive order from President Trump that aims to deny birthright citizenship in the United States.
The coalition of states argues that the executive order violates the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the country. Attorney General Dan Rayfield stated, "The administration’s attempt to sidestep the 14th Amendment is a clear violation of the United States Constitution." He emphasized that no president can change the Constitution through an executive order and warned about potential risks to other constitutional freedoms if such actions were allowed.
U.S. District Judge John Coughenour's ruling blocks President Trump's directive requiring federal agencies to stop issuing citizenship documents to children born in the U.S. whose parents are undocumented or hold temporary visas. As a result, children born in America will continue receiving citizenship at birth regardless of their parents' immigration status until further proceedings occur.
Rayfield also commented on presidential powers: "While the President has every right to issue executive orders during his time in office, he does not have the authority to arbitrarily deny Americans their constitutional rights." He affirmed Oregon's commitment to protecting its citizens' rights.