A federal judge appointed by George W. Bush has blocked President Trump’s executive order ending automatic U.S. citizenship for children born to illegal aliens, granting a classwide injunction in a Soros-funded lawsuit.
Why it matters: This decision upholds the disputed “anchor baby” policy, allowing potentially hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants to take advantage of birthright citizenship each year, placing a burden on American resources and weakening immigration law enforcement.
Driving the news: On Thursday, New Hampshire’s U.S. District Court Judge Joseph LaPlante granted a preliminary injunction, agreeing with undocumented immigrant plaintiffs who claimed Trump’s order brings them irreparable harm.
- The lawsuit is backed by George and Alex Soros’s Open Society Foundations, as revealed by Breitbart News.
- LaPlante certified a provisional class including all affected U.S.-born children since February 20, 2025, per the court order.
- The injunction stays enforcement of the EO across agencies like DHS, State, and USDA, with a $1 bond and a seven-day stay for appeal.
Catch up quick: Shortly after his inauguration, Trump signed an executive order to terminate birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants, a policy previously criticized by Democrats like Harry Reid, who labeled it insane in 1993. Each year, approximately 250,000 “anchor babies” are born in the U.S., allowing their parents to remain. A recent Supreme Court ruling restricted nationwide injunctions unless they are certified as class actions, leading plaintiffs to pursue this status.
The intrigue: The Soros connection highlights how billionaire-funded groups are weaponizing the courts to thwart Trump’s America First agenda, turning a Bush appointee into a roadblock for conservative immigration reforms.
Between the lines: By emphasizing “irreparable harm” to illegal aliens over American interests, the ruling exposes judicial activism that prioritizes open borders, potentially encouraging more illegal migration amid ongoing border crises.
What they’re saying:
- “Class Petitioners have demonstrated likelihood of success on the merits… and that the issuance of this order is in the public interest,” Judge Joseph LaPlante wrote in his ruling.
- “No sane country would grant birthright citizenship,” former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said in 1993, highlighting past bipartisan opposition to the policy.
The bottom line: This injunction could delay Trump’s immigration crackdown, but an appeal might restore the order—meanwhile, it fuels debates on reforming birthright citizenship to protect American sovereignty.
