Zinger Key Points
- The U.S., Canada and Mexico all offer automatic citizenship to everyone born there.
- More challenges to the Jan. 20 order have been filed in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and the District of Columbia.
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Another federal judge blocked President Donald Trump's birthright citizenship order.
What Happened: U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman issued the injunction at a hearing Wednesday on a lawsuit brought by civil rights groups arguing that Trump's order is unconstitutional.
In handing down the order, Boardman stated that denying “the precious right to citizenship will cause irreparable harm,” as reported by ABC News.
Boardman issued the preliminary injunction after a court hearing in Greenbelt, Maryland. Civil rights proponents brought the lawsuit forward.
She continued: “It has been said the right to U.S. citizenship is a right no less precious than life or liberty. If the court does not enjoin enforcement of the executive order, children subject to the order will be denied the rights and benefits of U.S. citizenship and their parents will face instability.”
Boardman is the second judge to shut down Trump's effort to curtail birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants and foreigners with temporary visas. Last month, it was Judge John Coughenour of Seattle who effectively rejected the White House’s interpretation of the 14th Amendment.
See Also: World Leaders Reject Trump's Plan To Turn Gaza Into Seaside Resort, Remove 2 Million Palestinians
Why It Matters: Trump, while on the campaign trail, promised to end automatic citizenship.
Since 1868, birthright citizenship has been a part of the U.S. Constitution.
The National Law Review, citing the Annie E. Casey Foundation, reports that roughly 24% of births in the U.S. in 2023 were to foreign-born mothers. Data for 2024 is not yet available.
The AECF does not differentiate between foreign-born mothers who may be in the U.S. with or without permission.
The U.S., Canada and Mexico all offer automatic citizenship to everyone born there.
The Trump administration insists the 14th Amendment does not “extend citizenship universally to everyone born within the United States.”
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed last week that Mexico received over 4,000 deportees from the U.S. since Trump took office.
Non-Mexican citizens were among those deported.
ETFs To Watch: The iShares MSCI Mexico ETF EWW tracks Mexican equities.
What’s Next: Multiple attorneys general filed a lawsuit to challenge Trump’s executive order. Among the states in contention are Massachusetts and New Hampshire, plus the District of Columbia.
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