Judge in Seattle accuses Trump of trying to change the Constitution

[highplainsdem]

Source: Seattle Times

A federal judge in Seattle has once again blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to rescind birthright citizenship — the guarantee embedded in the 14th Amendment to the Constitution that every person born in the U.S. is an American citizen.

Senior U.S. District Judge John Coughenour was withering Thursday in his criticism of President Donald Trump’s executive order, as he granted a preliminary injunction to prevent it from taking effect nationwide. Coughenour’s injunction blocks Trump’s order from taking effect until the court case ends, or until it is overruled by a higher court.

“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,” Coughenour said from the bench, to a packed courtroom. “In this courtroom and under my watch, the rule of law is a bright beacon which I intend to follow.”

-snip-

“The Constitution is not something with which the government may pIay policy games. If the government wants to change the exceptional American grant of birthright citizenship, it needs to amend the Constitution itself,” he said. “Because the president’s order attempts to circumscribe this process, it is clearly unconstitutional.”

-snip-

Read more: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/judge-in-seattle-continues-block-on-trump-birthright-citizenship-order/

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Coughenour was appointed by Ronald Reagan.

[sakabatou]

1. Now watch as Dump demands Coughenour to be fired

[maxsolomon]

3. The Congress is free to impeach him.

I'd imagine MFer is requesting that from his flunkies there.

[Martin68]

14. Congress had that chance twice already, with plenty of evidence, but the GOP refused to uphold either the constitution

or the law. They all broke their oaths of office and betrayed their country. They are traitors.

[Wiz Imp]

18. Can't fire a Federal Judge. Lifetime appointment.

Trump knows this.

[vapor2]

2. NOTE: he is DELETING THE GOVT.

[Martin68]

13. He's trying to delete the government, and he's got friends like Elon to help, but they may be biting off more than

they can chew.

[erronis]

4. Thank you for this. I am in admiration of people like Judge Coughenour.

This quote is so powerful:

“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,” Coughenour said from the bench, to a packed courtroom. “In this courtroom and under my watch, the rule of law is a bright beacon which I intend to follow.”

[calimary]

9. THANK YOU, Judge Coughenour!

You’re a bright beacon, too, sir.

[ShazzieB]

11. Good for Judge Coughenour!

That is a strongly worded statement. I like!

[TommieMommy]

5. Thank you Judge 👍 drump is trying to destroy everything

[Buns_of_Fire]

6. Judge Coughenour has thrown down the gauntlet in no uncertain terms.

Good for him.

Alito probably already has his clerks sifting through precambrian worm droppings to find a precedent to overturn.

[William Seger]

7. Good stuff!

Maybe there's hope after all.

[Godot51]

8. To conservatives today...

... the Constitution is merely a scrap of old paper.

[meow2u3]

10. They're not conservatives, they're radical fascists

Authoritarian is the big word that described the radical right; bully is the common word.

[Martin68]

12. Tough language. I love it! just giving it to him straight.

[Dumpy]

15. Fearful that this will be fast tracked to SCOTUS

And Trump's judges will side with him.

[cstanleytech]

16. Same unfortunately the 2nd Amendment is the same in that we need. Constitutional Amendment to fix it.

[CaptainTruth]

17. Change? Destroy.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

19. 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.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

20. Here's the ruling from US District Judge John Coughenour (a Reagan appointee), on the matter of birthright citizenship.

Link to tweet