Judge Halts Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Ban, Upholds 14th Amendment for Infants

In a dramatic courtroom showdown, a federal judge in New Hampshire has slammed the brakes on President Donald Trump’s controversial executive order attempting to end birthright citizenship for infants born in the U.S. Judge Joseph LaPlante’s ruling, issued on Thursday, grants a nationwide injunction, shielding all affected infants and underscoring the 14th Amendment’s ironclad promise of citizenship to those born on American soil. LaPlante called the potential loss of this right an irreparable harm, a decision that reverberates through a century of legal precedent.

The Trump administration’s order, signed on day one of his second term, aimed to deny citizenship documents to children born to undocumented immigrants or parents without lawful permanent resident status. It sparked immediate backlash, with 22 states and immigrant rights groups crying foul, labeling it unconstitutional and a direct assault on the foundational principles of the U.S. Constitution. The Supreme Court’s earlier 6-3 ruling in June didn’t touch the order’s legality but tightened the reins on lower courts, requiring class-action status for nationwide relief—a hurdle LaPlante’s ruling cleared with ease.

Despite the block, the Justice Department signaled it’s not backing down, planning to enforce the order as early as July 27, following a 30-day stay from the Supreme Court. Immigration advocates, including the ACLU, are doubling down, filing fresh lawsuits to keep the pressure on. Critics warn the fallout could be catastrophic, potentially upending lives and challenging the very fabric of American identity.

With an appeal from the Trump administration looming, this legal tug-of-war is far from over, raising profound questions about citizenship, power, and the limits of executive action in a deeply divided nation.