BOSTON: A federal judge in Boston, Massachusetts, has blocked President Donald Trump’s order that aimed to end birthright citizenship for children of parents who are in the United States illegally.

Federal Judge Leo Sorokin delivered the ruling on February 13, just days after another judge in New Hampshire did the same. Similar decisions were also made in Seattle and Maryland.

In a 31-paged ruling, Judge Sorokin noted that the U.S. Constitution guarantees birthright citizenship to all eligible people, including those affected by Trump’s order.

Legal Challenges Against Trump’s Order

The Boston case was filed by attorneys general from about 18 states. It is one of at least ten lawsuits opposing Trump's executive order.

The attorneys general urged the president’s actions, saying, "Trump may think he is above the law, but today’s ruling makes it clear. He is not a king and cannot change the Constitution by himself.

A similar ruling in Seattle also said that the Trump administration was ignoring the Constitution. Another federal judge in Maryland put a nationwide stop  on the order, affecting immigrant rights groups and pregnant women whose future children could lose their citizenship. The Trump administration has said it will appeal this ruling.

Why the Lawsuits Matter?

The 18 states, along with cities like San Francisco and Washington, DC., asked Judge Sorokin for a preliminary order. This means the order will remain blocked while the legal battle continues.

The states urge that birthright citizenship is a fundamental right in the Constitution and that Trump has no power to take it away. They also say his order could cut important state funding for programs like healthcare for low-income children and special education services.

A new lawsuit was recently filed in New York by the New York Immigration Coalition and a pregnant Venezuelan woman seeking asylum. They argue that the order discriminates based on nationality and could leave some children stateless.

The Constitutional Debate

t the heart of these lawsuits is the 14th Amendment, added to the Constitution in 1868. It was meant to make sure  that all people born in the U S. are citizens, except for a few take aways like children of foreign diplomats.

Trump’s administration says that children of non-citizens are not under U.S. jurisdiction and should not get automatic citizenship. However, legal experts argue that the 1898 Supreme Court case United States V Wong Kim Ark already confirmed birthright citizenship, except in rare cases.

Birthright citizenship exists in nearly 30 countries, mainly  in the Americas, including Canada and  also Mexico.

Judge Sorokin’s ruling also applies to another case filed in Boston by Lawyers for Civil Rights, that represents pregnant  mothers who could be affected by  Donald Trump’s order.