Overview

• Laplante certified a nationwide class of all U.S.-born children whose citizenship would be denied under the executive order, enabling collective relief in a single lawsuit.
• He issued a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of President Trump’s Jan. 20 directive, staying the order for seven days to give the Justice Department time to appeal.
• The judge determined that the executive order conflicts with the 14th Amendment’s birthright guarantee and the 1898 Wong Kim Ark precedent, finding loss of citizenship to be irreparable harm.
• Advocates invoked the Supreme Court’s June 27 decision that limited universal injunctions but preserved class-action remedies to secure broad protection in New Hampshire.
• Unless a higher court overturns the block, the policy remains on track to take effect July 27, a change that could strip citizenship from more than 150,000 U.S.-born children annually.