A federal judge in New Hampshire has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order restricting birthright citizenship and granted class-action status to the case, ABC News and NBC News reported Thursday.
The lawsuit, brought by the ACLU on behalf of affected families, challenges Trump’s plan to deny citizenship to children born in the U.S. unless at least one parent is a citizen or lawful resident.
U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante called the policy “irreparable harm” and “the greatest privilege that exists in the world.”
JUST IN: A federal judge in New Hampshire blocks federal agencies from enforcing President Trump's attempt to deny birthright citizenship to the children of immigrants in the US illegally or on temporary visas.
— Camilo Montoya-Galvez (@camiloreports) July 10, 2025
He does so via a class-action ruling, which SCOTUS still allows. pic.twitter.com/WOBt7KwjLp
While the injunction halts enforcement nationwide, it only applies to children, not their parents. The judge stayed his ruling for seven days to allow for government appeal.
The Trump administration argues the order restores the Fourteenth Amendment’s “original intent.” The DOJ opposed the injunction, calling it premature. Nearly two dozen states have also filed lawsuits opposing the order, citing constitutional violations.
