'Blatantly Unconstitutional': Federal Judge Blocks Trump Birthright Citizenship Order

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A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked U.S. President Donald Trump's unilateral attempt to end birthright citizenship, calling the move "blatantly unconstitutional."

The decision from Judge John Coughenour of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in Seattle came after Democratic-led states and advocacy groups sued the Trump administration over the president's executive order, which they argue runs afoul of the clear text of the 14th Amendment and more than a century of legal precedent.

"Frankly, I have difficulty understanding how a member of the bar could state unequivocally that is a constitutional order," the Reagan-appointed judge told an attorney for the Trump administration on Thursday. "It boggles my mind."

Reuters reported Thursday that Trump's order, which he signed shortly after taking office earlier this week, "has already become the subject of five lawsuits by civil rights groups and Democratic attorneys general from 22 states."

Lawyers representing Washington state, Arizona, Illinois, and Oregon warned in a court filing that if the president's order is allowed to take effect, "children born in the plaintiff states will soon be rendered undocumented, subject to removal or detention, and many stateless."

"They will be denied their right to travel freely and re-enter the United States," the filing continued. "They will lose their ability to obtain a Social Security number (SSN) and work lawfully as they grow up. They will be denied their right to vote, serve on juries, and run for certain offices. And they will be placed into positions of instability and insecurity as part of a new, Presidentially-created underclass in the United States."

The case could be appealed all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which is currently dominated by conservatives—including three Trump appointees.