ACLU Seeks Court Block on Trump Birthright Citizenship Orders

The American Civil Liberties Union and other civil rights groups are seeking a federal court order to block President Donald Trump's latest executive actions aimed at restricting birthright citizenship, arguing the measures attempt to circumvent a recent Supreme Court ruling. The legal challenge, filed on August 11, 2026, targets two executive orders signed by Trump on August 7, 2026, which seek to narrow the categories of children born in the United States who automatically receive citizenship.

The filing asks the same federal judge who previously blocked Trump's broader birthright citizenship policy to issue a clarifying injunction. The ACLU argues that the new orders, particularly one targeting so-called "birth tourism," are unconstitutional and violate the 14th Amendment. The Supreme Court in June 2026 rejected the administration's initial attempt to broadly end birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants and those with temporary legal status.

One of the new executive orders directs agencies to deny citizenship documents to children born in the U.S. to parents classified as "alien enemies," members of foreign terrorist organizations, or those acting on...