Judge to Trump: Stop 'Playing Games' With Constitution

President Trump's plan to end birthright citizenship—the idea that any baby born on American soil is entitled to citizenship—continues to run into friction in the federal courts:

• On Thursday, US District Judge John Coughenour in Seattle blocked the plan from taking effect with what the Seattle Times describes as a "withering" attack on the president's rationale. Coughenour called the president's plan "clearly unconstitutional" given that birthright citizenship is spelled out in the 14th Amendment.
• "The Constitution is not something with which the government may play policy games," Coughenour said, per the New York Times. "If the government wants to change the exceptional American grant of birthright citizenship, it needs to amend the Constitution itself."

• "It has become ever more apparent that to our president the rule of law is but an impediment to his policy goals," said Coughenour, an appointee of Ronald Reagan. "In this courtroom and under my watch, the rule of law is a bright beacon which I intend to follow." (Coughenour had also issued a temporary injunction last month.)
• His ruling comes a day after a federal judge in Maryland temporarily blocked the Trump initiative from going into effect nationwide on Feb. 19 as planned. Another hearing in yet another lawsuit is scheduled to take place Friday in Massachusetts.

(More birthright citizenship stories.)