A US appeals court has ruled against President Donald Trump's executive order, which aimed to restrict birthright citizenship. This decision means that children born in the United States will still automatically receive citizenship, no matter their parents' legal status, according to a Reuters report. 

The Trump administration sought to temporarily block a lower court decision, but the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco denied their plea. While court objections persisted, the Trump administration sought an emergency order to enable the new policy to go into effect. The appeals court, however, maintained the ruling of the lower court.

On January 20, after becoming the 74th US President again, Trump signed an executive order stopping automatic US citizenship for children born in the country if neither of their parents is a US citizen or a legal resident. This decision led to immediate lawsuits from Democratic-led states and immigrant rights groups, who argued that it violated the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution.

Judge John Coughenour, a federal judge in Seattle, was the first to block Trump’s order. On January 23, he issued a temporary restraining order and later turned it into a permanent preliminary injunction. Appointed by former President Ronald Reagan, Coughenour stated that the executive order was “blatantly unconstitutional” and violated the legal protections guaranteed by the 14th Amendment. The 9th Circuit's ruling was important because it upheld a nationwide block on Trump’s policy. The Trump administration claimed that Judge Coughenour went beyond his authority by applying the ruling across the entire country instead of just certain states. However, the appeals court disagreed and kept the injunction in place.

Federal judges in Maryland, Massachusetts and New Hampshire have blocked the executive order. The US Justice Department is appealing the decisions in Maryland and Massachusetts, which means the issue of birthright citizenship could eventually be decided by the US Supreme Court. Several state attorneys general, immigration rights groups and affected individuals have filed lawsuits, keeping the legal fight over Trump’s executive order ongoing. So far, the White House and the Justice Department have not released official statements regarding the 9th Circuit’s decision.