The U.S. Supreme Court today issued a ruling that could open the door for President Donald Trump's order ending birthright citizenship to take effect. Right after the decision came down, the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine and other groups filed a new nationwide class action lawsuit challenging the order.
The 6-3 ruling did not directly address the merits of the president's efforts to end birthright citizenship for children whose parents are undocumented or on temporary visas.
Instead, the court ruled that federal judges do not have the authority to issue nationwide injunctions, and gave lower courts 30 days to reconsider the scope of their orders.
But Carol Garvan, legal director with the ACLU of Maine, said the ruling did not curtail class action lawsuits.
"So in some ways, it is a different strategic method to ensure the same kind of broad protection," Garvan said.
Garvan said her group and others are also seeking a preliminary injunction to prevent the order from taking effect while litigation plays out.
