New Developments in Trump’s Executive Order Legal Battle
New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin, part of a coalition in 22 states challenging President Trump’s executive order, stated that a nationwide ban on the order remains possible following a Supreme Court ruling that limits the judiciary’s ability to interfere with presidential actions. This ruling came down on Saturday.
“There’s definitely a bunch of administrative hurdles, but I believe I’ll eventually find the national relief I’m seeking when we return to the lower courts,” Platkin mentioned during an appearance on MSNBC.
On Friday, the Supreme Court ruled that parts of Trump’s executive order could move forward, faulting the courts for overstepping by issuing a national injunction blocking the policy. This decision didn’t tackle the core constitutional issues of the order itself but notably narrowed the judicial options that have been employed against federal policies for many years.
New Jersey is among those 22 states, along with a coalition of expectant mothers and immigration advocacy groups, which sought to challenge the executive actions right after they were announced in January. Injunctions from three federal judges in Washington, Maryland, and Massachusetts subsequently provided relief to individuals nationwide, rather than just the plaintiffs involved.
The ruling stated that the earlier injunctions were unconstitutional, suggesting instead that they should be tailored to give “full relief to each plaintiff involved in the case.” The lower courts will now be tasked with figuring out how to align future injunctions with this directive.
On MSNBC, Platkin argued that the “complete relief” required for states impacted by these executive actions implies that the injunction must cover the entire country.
“Having a citizenship system determined by one’s state of residence is just not feasible,” he noted.
In parallel, the lawsuit brought by non-state plaintiffs is being reshaped into a class action, a path Judge Amy Coney Barrett recommended in her majority opinion, suggesting it could yield broader relief regarding the birthright citizenship order.
The executive order remains blocked for at least the next 30 days as courts and involved parties determine the following steps.
