A Federal judge in Seattle, Washington, has temporarily blocked convicted felon and President of the United States Donald Trump's unlawful executive order denying birthright citizenship.
Washington Attorney General Nick Brown was one of many State Attorney Generals to immediately sue the Trump Administration for its un-American attempt to reverse a century of legal precedent. The order attempts to remove the longstanding right of citizenship to children born in the United States regardless of their parent's legal status. The Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution is clear: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States." The presiding judge was shocked the Justice Department would try to defend the order.
Senior U.S. District Judge John Coughenour on Thursday was blistering in his criticism of Trump's action as he granted a temporary restraining order that blocks Trump's executive order from taking effect nationwide.
"I've been on the bench for over four decades, I can't remember another case where the question presented is as clear as this one is. This is a blatantly unconstitutional order," Coughenour, an appointee of Ronald Reagan, said from the bench. "There are other times in world history where we look back and people of goodwill can say where were the judges, where were the lawyers?"
Coughenour, speaking to a standing-room-only courtroom in downtown Seattle, interrupted before Brett Shumate, a Justice Department attorney, could even complete his first sentence.
"In your opinion is this executive order constitutional?" he asked.
Said Shumate, "It absolutely is."
"Frankly, I have difficulty understanding how a member of the Bar could state unequivocally that this is a constitutional order," Coughenour said. "It just boggles my mind."
Seattle Times
Previously:
• Ridiculous executive order declares everyone 'female'
• Trump Executive Order Generator