SAN ANTONIO – In a major ruling handed down on Thursday, a federal judge temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order to stop birthright citizenship.
The judge called Trump’s executive order “blatantly unconstitutional,” saying it violated the 14th Amendment, which guarantees citizenship to anyone born on United States soil.
Thursday’s ruling came after a multi-state legal challenge. The attorneys general in Arizona, Illinois, Oregon and Washington argued the executive order would harm thousands of families nationwide.
Trump’s order argues birthright citizenship should not apply to children of undocumented migrants or those who are in the country temporarily.
Although the order is on hold for now, several people at the U.S. Department of Citizenship and Immigration Services office on the North Side said they were still on edge.
“How are you going to take away the right of a child who was born here?” Andres Reyes said. “What’s he going to do? Where are you going to send him?”
“I worry for my family because I recognized what they have worked for, and that they’re hardworking people who deserve to be here,” Brandy Camberos said. “It hurts me that they’re worrying about that when they’ve never done anything wrong but work hard.”
Trump’s executive order will be on hold for 14 days, pending further legal proceedings.
