Clash Over Citizenship: Trump's Executive Order Faces Legal Battle

Four Democratic-led states have petitioned a federal judge in Seattle to prevent the enforcement of President Trump's executive order limiting birthright citizenship. The order, already legally challenged, seeks to deny citizenship to children born in the U.S. to non-citizen parents, a move opponents claim violates the 14th Amendment.

In a pivotal legal confrontation, four Democratic-led states, supported by civil rights groups, implored a federal judge in Seattle to halt President Trump's executive order on birthright citizenship. The controversial directive, unveiled at the start of Trump's presidency, aims to restrict citizenship rights for children born in the U.S. to non-citizen parents.

The argument, presented by Washington's Assistant Attorney General Lane Polozola, calls for a temporary restraining order, emphasizing that the directive contradicts the 14th Amendment's citizenship clause. The Justice Department defends the order as crucial for revamping the immigration system, but faces five concurrent lawsuits from Democratic attorneys general across the nation.

Senior U.S. District Judge John Coughenour, appointed by Ronald Reagan, presides over the case, with a decision expected imminently. If enacted, the order could strip citizenship rights from over 150,000 newborns annually. The legal battle underscores the enduring debate over the interpretation of the 14th Amendment and the scope of executive power.

(With inputs from agencies.)