Former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has responded to a federal judge’s decision to block former President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship for children born to migrants.
On Monday, January 20, shortly after being sworn in, Trump signed an executive order ending automatic citizenship for children born to non-citizens or individuals without lawful permanent residency in the United States.
However, U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour issued a temporary restraining order on Thursday, halting the implementation of Trump’s directive. The decision came after a lawsuit filed by the states of Oregon, Arizona, Illinois, and Washington, which opposed the move to eliminate birthright citizenship, a right protected under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
During the hearing in Seattle, Judge Coughenour did not mince words about the legality of Trump’s executive order. “I’ve been on the bench for four decades, and I can’t remember another case where the question presented is as clear as this one is,” the judge stated, labeling the order “blatantly unconstitutional.” He further remarked, “There are other times in world history where we look back and people of goodwill can say, ‘Where were the judges? Where were the lawyers?'”
The temporary restraining order prevents federal agencies from enforcing the executive order while the case undergoes judicial review.
Reacting to the development, Nancy Pelosi expressed her stance on the matter through a tweet, saying, “If you’re born in America, you’re an American. Period.”
The executive order and its subsequent legal challenges have reignited debates over immigration and the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship in the United States. As the case proceeds, it will likely remain a focal point of legal and political discourse.
