Last Updated on July 11, 2025
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 ruling preserves the controversial “anchor baby” policy, potentially allowing hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens to exploit birthright citizenship annually, straining American resources and undermining immigration enforcement.
Driving the news: Judge Joseph LaPlante of New Hampshire’s U.S. District Court issued the preliminary injunction Thursday, siding with illegal alien plaintiffs who argued Trump’s order causes 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: Trump signed the executive order immediately after his inauguration to end birthright citizenship for illegal aliens’ children, a policy once criticized by Democrats like Harry Reid, who called it insane in 1993. Annually, about 250,000 “anchor babies” are born in the U.S., securing their parents’ stay. A recent SCOTUS ruling limited nationwide injunctions unless certified as class actions, prompting plaintiffs to seek 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.
