Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said the U.S. Supreme Court made a “mistake of monumental proportions” when it limited the federal judiciary’s ability to issue nationwide injunctions.
But in a statement released Friday afternoon, Ellison said he remains confident that he and other attorneys general can stop President Donald Trump’s attempt to end birthright citizenship.
“No setback will deter me from doing everything in my power to defend our Constitution, the rule of law, and the rights of every Minnesotan,” the statement said.
Friday’s ruling does not directly address Trump’s executive order to deny birthright citizenship to children born of people who are in the country illegally or temporarily.
But it does limit federal courts’ ability to block actions from the executive branch to only those who are a party before the court.
In effect, the rulings allows Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship to take effect in some parts of the country – although not for another 30 days – while legal challenges in 22 states, including Minnesota, continue to play out.
“If injunctions are going to be limited in scope to those who filed a lawsuit, it is more important than ever that state attorneys general continue to lead the legal fight in defense of the Constitution and on behalf of the people we were elected to represent,” Ellison said.
He continued: “President Trump has repeatedly violated his oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution. I believe the Supreme Court’s decision to ignore this obvious reality and limit the judiciary’s ability to uphold the rule of law is a mistake of monumental proportions. However, no setback will deter me from doing everything in my power to defend our Constitution, the rule of law, and the rights of every Minnesotan.”
