A federal judge in New Hampshire has blocked the Trump administration from enforcing its executive order on birthright citizenship.
U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante certified a challenge on Thursday by the American Civil Liberties Union as a class action lawsuit and granted a preliminary injunction.
The ruling from Judge Laplante comes after the Supreme Court curtailed judge’s ability to issue nationwide injunctions but left a door open for challengers to seek relief by filing class action lawsuits.
MORE: What’s next for birthright citizenship after Supreme Court limits nationwide injunctions
Laplante said “the petitioners are likely to suffer irreparable harm if the order is not granted.”
“If the order is not granted outweighs the potential harm to Respondents if the order is granted; and that the issuance of this order is in the public interest,” Laplante said.
The lawsuit, which was filed last month in New Hampshire was brought on behalf of pregnant immigrants, two immigrant parents and their infants.
“This ruling is a huge victory and will help protect the citizenship of all children born in the United States, as the Constitution intended,” said Cody Wofsy, deputy director of the ACLU’s Immigrant’s Rights Project, who argued the case. “We are fighting to ensure President Trump doesn’t trample on the citizenship rights of one single child.”
Laplante’s order includes a seven-day stay to allow the Trump administration to appeal.
