Judge Blocks Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Restrictions

A federal judge in Maryland has halted President Trump’s birthright citizenship restrictions, marking the fourth such ruling nationwide since a recent Supreme Court decision.

U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman had previously indicated her intention to block the restrictions on a national level, but jurisdiction issues had prevented her from doing so until the case was sent back to her by an appeals court last week.

The new phase of this legal battle follows the Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling that limits judges’ ability to issue universal injunctions, although it does allow for nationwide bans when necessary to ensure “full relief” for plaintiffs or in cases of national class action lawsuits.

Judge Boardman mentioned that she had not “revived” the universal injunction in her latest ruling. She stated, “The court has now held that the only way to provide full relief for accredited classes is to prohibit the enforcement of executive orders on each member of the class.” This indicates that the relief must, indeed, encompass all U.S. children affected by such executive orders.

Appointed by former President Biden, Judge Boardman is currently overseeing challenges brought by two immigration organizations, CASA and the Asylum-seeker Advocacy Project, along with eight women who are either pregnant or have recently given birth. The plaintiffs argue for an injunction that is limited to certain groups of immigrants.

This ruling marks the fourth legal victory for opponents of Trump’s executive order, following similar decisions by other federal judges in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.