| Barbara v. Trump | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Court | United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire |
| Full case name | Barbara et al v. Trump et al |
| Argued | July 10, 2025 (preliminary injunction) |
| Decided | July 10, 2025 (preliminary injunction granted) |
| Docket nos. | 1:25-cv-00244-JL-AJ |
| Court membership | |
| Judge sitting | Joseph Normand Laplante |
Barbara v. Trump is aclass action lawsuit againstExecutive Order 14160. PresidentDonald Trump signed the order to place multiple restrictions onbirthright citizenship, allegedly violating the14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
The lawsuit was filed on June 27, 2025, the same day as theSupreme Court ruled in the caseTrump v. CASA that nationwide injunctions cannot be issued by afederal district court.[1] As a result, the class action, similar to a nationwide injunction, was seen as the best possible method to block the order.
The lawsuit asks theU.S District Court for the District of New Hampshire to grant a class-wide injunction covering any person whose rights would be affected by the order. A similar class action case has been filed in Maryland as well.[2][3]
On July 10, 2025, JudgeJoseph Laplante issued apreliminary injunction indefinitely blocking the order from being enforced upon those who would be impacted by the policy.[4]
On January 20, 2025, President Trump signedExecutive Order 14160, "Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship", which ordered alldepartments of the executive branch to refuse to recognize children born to illegal immigrants or visa holders as citizens.[5] An estimated 150,000 such children are born in the United States each year.[6]
The order was quickly blocked by multiple universalpreliminary injunctions issued bydistrict court judges.[7] These cases were consolidated intoTrump v. CASA. The Trump administration sought partial relief by asking theSupreme Court to limit the injunctions to the plaintiffs who were suing against the order.[8] On June 27, 2025, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that nationwide injunctions could not be issued by afederal district court.[1] JusticeBrett Kavanaugh appeared to endorse class-wide injunctions in his concurring opinion.[1]
Seeing class actions as the best means to challenge the order, theAmerican Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit asking theU.S District Court for the District of New Hampshire to grant a class-wide injunction covering those who would not qualify for birthright citizenship under the executive order.[2]CASA de Maryland filed a similar motion as well.[3]
On July 10, 2025, JudgeJoseph Laplante granted the ACLU's request, certified a class of born and unborn babies who would be deprived of their citizenship per the administration's policy, and issued a preliminary injunction blocking the order from being enforced upon that class.[4][9][10]
