A federal judge in Seattle issued a nationwide temporary restraining order Thursday halting President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at limiting birthright citizenship.
Senior U.S. District Judge John Coughenour, an appointee of former President Ronald Reagan, called the order “blatantly unconstitutional.” The judge criticized the federal government’s argument that the 14th Amendment excludes children of undocumented immigrants, asserting, “President Trump and the federal government now seek to impose a modern version of Dred Scott.”
“Frankly, I have difficulty understanding how a member of the Bar could state unequivocally that this is a constitutional order,” Coughenour said.
The restraining order lasts for 14 days, according to the brief four-page order, which notes, “This injunction remains in effect pending further orders from this Court.”
