Judge blocks Trump's order restricting birthright citizenship

CONCORD, NH — A federal judge in New Hampshire granted class-action status to a lawsuit seeking to protect babies who would be denied birthright citizenship by the Trump administration and granted a temporary block of the order restricting birthright citizenship from going into effect throughout the country.

The suit was brought on behalf of a pregnant immigrant, immigrant parents and their infants and had sought class action status for all babies around the country who would be affected by Trump’s executive order and their parents.

Cody Wofsy, the lead attorney on the case with the American Civil Liberties Union, argued for class-action status in front of U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante Thursday morning, stating that their clients would suffer irreparable harm by being denied birthright citizenship, a claim with which the judge found credible.

Laplante ordered during the hearing that class-action status be certified in the case but only for the babies who would be impacted by the restrictions, not for the parents.

He also ordered a preliminary injunction temporarily blocking Trump’s order from going into effect, but stayed his order for seven days, allowing the government time to appeal.