Trump's plan on birthright citizenship faces a hurdle

U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman blocked the Trump administration from enforcing an executive order limiting birthright citizenship on Wednesday. The order aimed to restrict eligibility for citizenship to those born in the U.S. who are subject to the jurisdiction thereof. Immigrant rights advocates, who had previously secured a ruling blocking the 2025 order, requested Boardman's intervention.

The case was brought forth by groups like CASA and Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project. On June 30, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Trump's initial effort to end birthright citizenship, finding it violated the 14th Amendment's citizenship clause. Trump signed a new order on August 6, specifically targeting birth tourism and children of certain foreign parents.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs asked Boardman to block enforcement of this new order and protect their clients' citizenship. Boardman expressed skepticism of the order but did not immediately issue a restraining order. She allowed the plaintiffs to revise their lawsuit to consider whether to block the order, which the Justice Department argued was premature as the administration had not yet provided public guidance on implementing the directive, expected by September 5.