Another legal setback has hit former President Donald Trump’s attempt to end birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin, appointed during the Obama administration, became the third federal judge to block the executive order, keeping nationwide protections in place.
The case was brought by more than a dozen states, which argued the order was unconstitutional and would strain state budgets by cutting citizenship benefits tied to health care, education, and social services. Sorokin agreed, saying a patchwork of enforcement across states would be unworkable since families move frequently.
In his ruling, Sorokin sharply criticized the government’s defense, writing that officials failed to explain how the policy could be implemented legally or practically. “The defendants’ position in this regard defies both law and logic,” he said.
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin, who co-led the lawsuit, praised the decision, saying it protects constitutional principles and prevents harm to American-born children. “American-born babies are American, just as they have been at every other time in our Nation’s history,” he said.
The Biden administration’s Justice Department, defending the order in court, has argued that the Fourteenth Amendment does not extend citizenship to children of undocumented immigrants or temporary visitors. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson responded that the administration looks forward to being “vindicated on appeal.”
With three separate rulings already blocking the order nationwide, the administration now faces mounting legal obstacles. But more cases are still pending in other states, and the debate continues over the limits of presidential authority…
