A federal district court in the U.S. state of Maryland has temporarily blocked an attempt by the administration of US President Donald Trump to implement a decree aimed at restricting birthright citizenship. According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, the decree was designed to curb so-called "birth tourism" in the United States.
Since taking office in January 2025, US President Donald Trump has actively sought to eliminate or significantly restrict the policy of granting automatic citizenship to children born within the United States. Following a June ruling by the US Supreme Court that rejected an initial attempt to curtail birthright citizenship, the President signed a new, more stringent executive order in August.
Yesterday, US District Judge Deborah Boardman issued a temporary injunction blocking the administration's efforts to enforce the new decree. In her ruling, Judge Boardman noted that the plaintiffs have a high likelihood of proving that the decree violates rights guaranteed by the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution. This amendment explicitly guarantees citizenship to all persons born on US soil.
The court's decision is not final, and legal proceedings regarding the matter are ongoing.
The constitutional amendment establishing birthright citizenship in the United States was adopted following the American Civil War. This amendment effectively overturned the 1857 Supreme Court decision in the Dred Scott case, which had denied citizenship rights to African Americans. The current legal challenge highlights the ongoing debate over the interpretation of constitutional protections regarding immigration and national identity in the United States.
