A federal judge in New Hampshire has issued a significant ruling, blocking President Donald Trump’s executive order that aimed to ban birthright citizenship for infants. This decision, made by U.S. District Judge Joseph LaPlante, grants nationwide class certification status specifically to infants affected by the order, while excluding parents from the case. Judge LaPlante emphasized that depriving citizenship, as protected by the 14th Amendment, would result in “irreparable harm.” He plans to release a detailed written ruling by the end of the day to further explain his decision.

The injunction comes in the wake of a Supreme Court decision earlier this year, which ruled 6-3 that plaintiffs seeking nationwide relief must file their cases as class action lawsuits. This ruling limited the ability of lower district courts to issue universal injunctions but did not address the legality of Trump’s executive order itself. Despite this limitation, the Trump administration is expected to appeal the decision swiftly.

Justice Department officials have indicated their intention to begin enforcing Trump’s birthright citizenship order as early as July 27, following a 30-day stay included in the Supreme Court’s ruling. The executive order, signed on the first day of Trump’s second term, directs U.S. government agencies to deny citizenship documents to children born to illegal immigrants or those without at least one American citizen or lawful permanent resident parent.

The order faced immediate legal challenges from over 22 U.S. states and immigrant rights groups, who argued that it was unconstitutional and threatened over a century of legal precedent. These challenges led to its initial blockage by lower courts before reaching the Supreme Court for review in May. The high court’s decision has sparked additional lawsuits from organizations like the ACLU, which have filed new class action suits in federal courts across Maryland and New Hampshire.

Despite the ongoing legal battles, Trump administration lawyers assert that the Supreme Court’s ruling does not prevent them from taking further actions before the enforcement date. They plan to develop and issue public guidance on implementing the order promptly. Advocates warn that enforcing this policy could have catastrophic consequences for affected families and communities.