Judge grants injunction in WA lawsuit against birthright citizenship order

[LetMyPeopleVote]

1. Reagan-appointed judge slams Trump's approach to the rule of law

"The rule of law is, according to him, something to navigate around or simply ignore," a Reagan-appointed judge said in reference to Donald Trump.
https://bsky.app/profile/stubronstein.bsky.social/post/3lhmkkxnays2q

Link to tweet

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/reagan-appointed-judge-slams-trumps-approach-rule-law-rcna191259

But in some instances, it’s not just the fact that Team Trump is losing that matters, it’s also how the White House is losing. Take the fight over birthright citizenship, for example.

The language of the Constitution’s 14th Amendment does not lend itself to wiggle room. “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,” it reads. In other words, if you’re born in the U.S., you’re a citizen of the U.S.

Nevertheless, on Inauguration Day, the new Republican president kept one of his uglier campaign promises and issued an executive order that not only rejected the constitutional principle but also directed federal agencies to refuse to recognize U.S. citizenship for children who do not meet the administration’s new standards.....

But it’s worth appreciating the degree to which Coughenour — named to the federal bench by Ronald Reagan — lowered the boom on Team Trump. The longtime jurist concluded:

It has become ever more apparent that to our president, the rule of law is but an impediment to his policy goals. The rule of law is, according to him, something to navigate around or simply ignore, whether that be for political or personal gain. Nevertheless, in this courtroom and under my watch, the rule of law is a bright beacon which I intend to follow.

“The Constitution,” the judge added, “is not something the government can play policy games with.”

Ouch.

This was hardly the only recent example of Trump facing judicial eloquence in the midst of a legal setback — some of the rulings in Jan. 6 cases are especially notable — and given the scope of the lawsuits surrounding the White House’s agenda, it probably won’t be the last.