Texas Border Business
Texas Border Business
On July 10, 2025, U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante issued a nationwide preliminary injunction blocking President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to undocumented immigrants. The ruling marks a significant legal setback for the order, which was signed by Trump on January 20, 2025, during his current presidential campaign.
The judge’s decision followed the certification of a nationwide class of plaintiffs, which allowed him to issue broad relief despite a recent Supreme Court ruling that curtailed the use of universal injunctions. The Supreme Court’s June decision in Trump v. CASA held that lower courts may not issue injunctions affecting individuals not party to the case unless a certified class is involved. Laplante’s order relied on that precise mechanism, establishing a class consisting of potentially tens of thousands of infants born to noncitizen parents during the pendency of the case.
Judge Laplante found that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on the merits of their constitutional claims, particularly with regard to the Fourteenth Amendment, which guarantees citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States. In his ruling, Laplante noted that stripping these children of citizenship status would cause “irreparable harm,” including loss of legal protections, statelessness, and long-term uncertainty. He concluded that the government had not shown sufficient justification for overriding longstanding interpretations of the Citizenship Clause.
Although the Supreme Court has made it more difficult for lower courts to impose nationwide remedies, Laplante’s move to certify a class enabled him to apply his ruling broadly. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which brought the lawsuit, welcomed the certification, arguing it was the only way to prevent widespread constitutional harm.
The court’s order includes a seven-day stay, giving the federal government time to appeal. A formal written opinion expanding on the judge’s legal reasoning is expected in the coming days.
