Trump administration files appeal over loss in case on birthright citizenship in US
The battle moves to the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
The US Department of Justice will appeal the ruling of a federal judge in Seattle. Earlier, the judge blocked an attempt by US President Donald Trump to restrict automatic citizenship by birthright, reports Bloomberg.
On Thursday evening, the government filed a notice of appeal just hours after US District Judge John Coughenour announced his decision. The appeal marks the administration's first step in bringing the matter to a higher court after a series of setbacks.
According to Bloomberg, Trump's executive order aimed to revoke birthright citizenship for children born to parents in the US without legal status or those holding temporary permits for work, study, or visits. The order was set to take effect on February 19 but is currently on hold.
Coughenour was the first judge to temporarily block the enforcement of the birthright citizenship order, signed by Trump shortly after his inauguration, calling the president's actions blatantly unconstitutional. On Thursday, he granted a long-term preliminary injunction to the challengers - a coalition of state attorneys general from Democratic-led states.
The confrontation will now move to the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, where the majority of current judges were appointed by Democrats, though the court has shifted ideologically to the right under Trump.
Earlier this week, a federal judge in Maryland also issued a preliminary injunction blocking the executive action. However, the government has not yet taken any steps to appeal that decision.
For more details on what birthright citizenship in the US entails and what obstacles Trump might face in attempting to revoke it, read the article by RBC-Ukraine.
