A federal judge in Seattle has indefinitely blocked President Trump's executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship, a policy established for 150 years and embedded in the U.S. Constitution. The ruling by U.S. District Court Judge John Coughenour follows a temporary restraining order issued two weeks prior.
Attorney General Rayfield commented on the decision, stating, "This just proves what we’ve been saying all along. No president can rewrite the Constitution with the stroke of a pen." Rayfield noted that Oregon, along with three other states, had previously succeeded in temporarily blocking the order.
Judge Coughenour emphasized the importance of upholding legal principles, declaring, "It has become ever more apparent that to our president the rule of law is but an impediment to his policy goals. In this courtroom, and under my watch, the rule of law is a bright beacon which I intend to follow."
The Seattle ruling closely follows another judicial decision from Maryland where a federal judge also halted President Trump's executive order. That case involved five pregnant women and two immigrant rights groups concerned about its impact on their children's citizenship status.
Rayfield expressed strong opposition to the executive order's intent: "Babies born in the United States are U.S. citizens. Period," he stated. "And Trump’s attempt to strip infants of their citizenship is cruel and deeply un-American."