New Jersey’s Attorney General Matt Platkin, who is one of the plaintiffs in a total of 22 lawsuits aimed at challenging President Trump’s executive order, suggested that there’s still a possibility it could be stopped nationwide. This follows a Supreme Court ruling issued on Saturday, which significantly limited the court system’s ability to block presidential policies.
“There are various administrative hurdles that can make this tricky, so I believe I’ll eventually find the national relief I’m seeking when I go back to the lower court,” Platkin mentioned in an appearance on MSNBC.
The Supreme Court decided on Friday that Trump’s executive order could be partially implemented, stating it overstepped its authority by issuing a national injunction that hindered policy enforcement. Although the ruling didn’t delve into the core constitutional aspects of Trump’s order, it did impose substantial limitations on judicial mechanisms that have traditionally been used to block federal policies through many presidential terms.
New Jersey is among 22 states led by Democrats, alongside a group of expectant mothers and immigration organizations, that took action against the executive orders shortly after their announcement in January. Injunctions granted by three federal judges from Washington, Maryland, and Massachusetts in subsequent months provided nationwide relief, not limited to just the plaintiffs involved.
The majority opinion on Friday highlighted that such broad injunctions were unconstitutional. Instead, it recommended that injunctions should be narrowly tailored to ensure “full relief to each plaintiff involved in the case.” The lower court is now tasked with formulating an injunction that aligns with this ruling.
During his MSNBC interview, Platkin maintained that “complete relief” signifies not just addressing the needs of harmed states but also stopping the executive orders at a national level.
“Managing a citizenship system based on where residents live would be unfeasible,” he noted.
In addition, the non-state plaintiff’s case has been swiftly reshaped into a class action lawsuit. This route, pointed out by Judge Amy Coney Barrett in her majority opinion, may offer broader relief regarding the birthright citizenship order.
The executive order remains on hold for at least 30 days while the courts and involved parties determine the next moves.
