A federal judge in Seattle has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at changing birthright citizenship laws.
The order, slated to take effect on January 19, was deemed “blatantly unconstitutional” by Judge John Coughenour.
The controversial order sought to stop the issuance of citizenship documentation to children born in the United States to parents who are not legally in the country.
This directive was part of a series of executive orders signed by Trump shortly after taking office in 2017.
The judge’s ruling came after four states filed a lawsuit, arguing that the order violated the U.S. Constitution.
During a hearing, Judge Coughenour questioned the validity of the order, stating that it was clear the order was unconstitutional.
Nicholas Brown, the Attorney General of Washington, who represented the states, expressed confidence that the temporary block would stand, predicting that the ruling would not be overturned by a higher court.