Chicago – July 10, 2025
A federal judge decided on Thursday to block President Donald Trump’s executive order that would end birthright citizenship. The decision came from US District Judge Joseph Laplante in New Hampshire. This ruling is important because, last month, the Supreme Court limited the ability of lower court judges to issue nationwide blocks but still allowed people to challenge orders in class action lawsuits, which is what happened in this case.
Judge Laplante granted a request from immigration rights lawyers to create a nationwide group of people who could be affected by the order, saying they would be people who are denied citizenship. He then issued an order stopping Trump’s policy from being enforced on any baby born after February 20. He stated that US citizenship is “the greatest privilege that exists in the world.”
Although Judge Laplante made the decision, he gave the Trump administration a few days to appeal the ruling. This could become a key defense against Trump’s policy as other courts look at their previous decisions in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling.
The White House called the decision an “obvious and unlawful attempt” to go against the Supreme Court’s ruling.
