U.S. Judge Halts Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Order
U.S. Judge Blocks Trump’s Executive Order on Birthright Citizenship, Offering Relief to Indian Immigrants Facing Uncertainty
Indian students and professionals in the U.S. received a major relief as a Seattle federal judge indefinitely blocked former President Donald Trump’s executive order that sought to end birthright citizenship. The court criticized Trump for bypassing the rule of law to push a political agenda. This ruling follows a similar decision by a Maryland federal judge.
Court’s Strong Remarks
According to a CNN report, Judge John Coughenour stated,
“For this president, the rule of law appears to be nothing more than an obstacle to his policy goals. The Constitution is not something the government can manipulate for political or personal gain.”
The judge emphasized that changing birthright citizenship would require a constitutional amendment, not an executive order. The U.S. Justice Department has announced plans to appeal the ruling.
Trump’s Executive Order and Its Impact
On January 20, immediately after assuming office for a second term, Trump signed an order denying automatic U.S. citizenship to children born on American soil if their parents were not permanent residents. This created widespread panic among H-1B visa holders, intra-company transferees (L visa), dependents (H-4 visa), and students (F visa).
Under the order:
- Children born to parents on temporary visas would not be eligible for U.S. citizenship unless one parent was a citizen or a green card holder.
- Families rushed to hospitals to give birth before the order could take effect.
- Green card applicants worried about their children being forced to leave the U.S. at 21 if they couldn’t secure another visa.
With this court ruling, the Indian immigrant community can breathe a sigh of relief—for now. However, the legal battle over birthright citizenship is far from over.
