A federal judge in New Hampshire has once again blocked President Donald Trump from enforcing an executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship for certain United States residents, as a legal challenge against the directive progresses.

The judge granted class-action status to a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on behalf of immigrant parents and their newborn children, and temporarily suspended the order from taking effect.

The ruling follows recent changes by the US Supreme Court limiting the scope of universal injunctions issued by lower courts, while still allowing such measures under specific legal conditions. The class-action suit was introduced in line with the new legal standard set by the Supreme Court.

Nevertheless, the White House immediately condemned the judge’s decision and vowed to contest it.

Spokesman Harrison Fields described the decision as “an obvious and unlawful attempt to circumvent the Supreme Court’s clear order against universal relief” which “disregards the rule of law by abusing class action certification procedures.”

He further accused “rogue district court judges” of interfering with policies “President Trump was elected to implement.”

At the centre of the legal dispute is the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution, which affirms that “all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside”.

Trump’s executive order seeks to deny the right to children born to undocumented immigrants and short-term foreign visitors — a move he has long championed as part of his hardline immigration agenda.

The class-action lawsuit argues the order is unconstitutional and inflicts harm on the children it targets. The judge ruled the suit can proceed and issued a temporary halt on the order, which had been scheduled to take effect on 27 July. The government has been given seven days to appeal.

Restricting birthright citizenship was among Trump’s first actions in office, drawing immediate legal challenges. Multiple courts subsequently issued nationwide injunctions against the order, prompting the Trump administration to appeal to the Supreme Court.

The court’s conservative majority sided with Trump in a 6-3 ruling that significantly limited the power of lower courts to issue sweeping injunctions. However, the justices did not rule on the constitutionality of the executive order itself.

The latest ruling throws another legal hurdle in the path of one of Trump’s key immigration policies, and signals a prolonged court battle as the administration continues to defend its authority to implement such measures.

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