The deprivation of US citizenship and an abrupt change of policy that was longstanding … that’s irreparable harm.” With those words, U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante drew a bold line in the sand, certifying a national class and issuing a preliminary injunction that prohibits President Trump’s executive order targeting birthright citizenship for children born on

It’s to Judge LaPlante’s credit that when the birthright citizenship came before him earlier in the year, he pulled his punches, so to speak. While he sided with the opponents of Mr. Trump’s policy, he confined his ruling in February halting enforcement of the measure to the jurisdiction of his court — the federal district of New Hampshire.