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U.S. NEWS Friday 7 February 2025
A federal judge temporarily blocks Trump’s executive order

redefining birthright citizenship

By GENE JOHNSON and 14th Amendment of the U.S.
MIKE CATALINI Constitution.”
Associated Press “We look forward to pre-
SEATTLE (AP) — A federal senting a full merits argu-
judge on Thursday tem- ment to the Court and to
porarily blocked President the American people, who
Donald Trump’s executive are desperate to see our
order denying U.S. citizen- Nation’s laws enforced,” the
ship to the children of par- department said.
ents living in the country il- The U.S. is among about 30
legally, calling it “blatantly countries where birthright
unconstitutional” during the citizenship the principle of
first hearing in a multi-state jus soli or “right of the soil”
effort challenging the order. is applied. Most are in the
The 14th Amendment to Americas, and Canada and
the Constitution promises Mexico are among them.
citizenship to those born on The 14th Amendment was
U.S. soil, a measure ratified ratified in 1868, in the af-
in 1868 to ensure citizenship termath of the Civil War, to
for former slaves after the ensure citizenship for for-
Civil War. mer slaves and free African
But in an effort to curb un- In this Sept. 16, 2015, photo, a woman in Sullivan City, Texas, who said she entered the country Americans.
lawful immigration, Trump illegally, walks with her daughter who was born in the United States, but was denied a birth It states: “All persons born
issued the executive order certificate. or naturalized in the United
just after being sworn in for Associated Press States and subject to the
his second term on Monday. and Illinois was the first to further arguments about the tional order,” he added. jurisdiction thereof, are citi-
The order would deny citi- get a hearing. merits of Trump’s order. Shumate assured the judge zens of the United States
zenship to those born after “I’ve been on the bench for Coughenour scheduled a he did “absolutely.” He said and of the State wherein
Feb. 19 whose parents are over four decades. I can’t hearing on Feb. 6 to decide the arguments the Trump they reside.”
in the country illegally. It also remember another case whether to block it long administration is making Trump’s order asserts that
forbids U.S. agencies from where the question present- term as the case proceeds. now have never previously the children of noncitizens
issuing any document or ed was as clear as this one Coughenour, 84, a Ronald been litigated, and that are not “subject to the juris-
accepting any state docu- is,” U.S. District Judge John Reagan appointee who there was no reason to issue diction” of the United States,
ment recognizing citizenship Coughenour told a Justice was nominated to the fed- a 14-day temporary restrain- and therefore not entitled to
for such children. Department attorney. “This eral bench in 1981, grilled ing order when it would ex- citizenship.
Trump’s order drew immedi- is a blatantly unconstitution- the DOJ attorney, Brett Shu- pire before the executive Arguing for the states on
ate legal challenges across al order.” mate, asking whether Shu- order takes effect. Thursday, Washington assis-
the country, with at least Thursday’s decision prevents mate personally believed The Department of Justice tant attorney general Lane
five lawsuits being brought the Trump administration the order was constitutional. later said in a statement Polozola called that “ab-
by 22 states and a number from taking steps to imple- “I have difficulty under- that it will “vigorously de- surd,” noting that neither
of immigrants rights groups. ment the executive order standing how a member of fend” the president’s ex- those who have immigrated
A lawsuit brought by Wash- for 14 days. In the mean- the bar could state unequiv- ecutive order, which it said illegally nor their children
ington, Arizona, Oregon time, the parties will submit ocally that this is a constitu- “correctly interprets the are immune from U.S. law. q

U.S. imposes sanctions on network that helps ship Iranian oil to China

By FATIMA HUSSEIN ing its oil revenues to fund and unmanned aerial retary Scott Bessent in a ing the U.S. government to
Associated Press the development of its nu- vehicles, and to support news release. impose maximum pressure
WASHINGTON (AP) — The clear program, to produce its regional terrorist proxy During his confirmation on Tehran, President Don-
U.S. Department of Trea- its deadly ballistic missiles groups,” said Treasury Sec- hearing, Bessent criticized ald Trump told reporters
sury on Thursday imposed the Biden administration’s that “we will see whether
sanctions on a network of sanctions policies and or not we can arrange or
more than a dozen people called for the U.S. to have work out a deal with Iran.”
and firms that are accused a more “muscular” sanc- “We don’t want to be
of facilitating the shipment tions regime, including on tough on Iran. We don’t
of millions of barrels of Ira- Iran and Russian entities want to be tough on any-
nian oil to China. and oil. body,” Trump said. “But
The department’s Office Tammy Bruce, a State De- they just can’t have a nu-
of Foreign Assets Control partment spokeswoman, clear bomb.” Trump add-
sanctioned more than said in a Thursday state- ed that he’s given his ad-
dozen people and com- ment that the U.S. “will use visers instructions to oblit-
panies in China, India and all tools at our disposal to erate Iran if it assassinates
the United Arab Emirates. hold the regime account- him. Iranian officials ap-
The targets include Iranian able for its destabilizing ac- peared to signal that they
and Indian citizens, crew tivities and pursuit of nucle- are waiting for a message
management firms and a ar weapons that threaten from Trump on whether he
collection of ships. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent appears for an interview with the civilized world.” wants to negotiate over
“The Iranian regime re- FOX Business Network’s Larry Kudlow in the Washington bureau While signing an executive Tehran’s rapidly advanc-
of FOX News, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, in Washington.
mains focused on leverag- Associated Press order on Tuesday mandat- ing nuclear program.q