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Meet Joseph Laplante, judge who blocked Trump on birthright citizenship despite Supreme Court ruling
Joseph Laplante, a federal judge in New Hampshire, issued a ruling on Thursday blocking President Donald Trump's executive order to end birthright citizenship
Joseph Laplante, a federal judge in New Hampshire, issued a ruling on Thursday blocking President Donald Trump's executive order to end birthright citizenship. The judge's preliminary injunction certified a class action lawsuit that included all children who would be affected by the president's order.
This comes only days after the Supreme Court restricted the authority of district court judges to issue nationwide injunctions unless the plaintiffs in a case are certified as a nationwide class. Judge Laplante found that the class for his latest ruling met the standard.
It is likely that birthright citizenship will return to the Supreme Court. “This is going to protect every single child around the country from this lawless, unconstitutional and cruel executive order,” said Cody Wofsy, an attorney for the plaintiffs.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of a pregnant woman, two parents and their infants. Laplante said he does not consider the government's arguments frivolous, but found them unpersuasive.
He said his decision to issue an injunction was “not a close call” and that deprivation of US citizenship clearly amounted to irreparable harm.
“That's irreparable harm, citizenship alone,” he said. “It is the greatest privilege that exists in the world.”
Who Is Joseph Laplante?
Joseph Normand Laplante, born in 1965 in Nashua, New Hampshire, is a seasoned federal judge appointed to the US District Court for the District of New Hampshire in 2007 by President George W Bush. A graduate of Georgetown University (BA, 1987) and Georgetown Law (JD, 1990), Laplante served as a law clerk, prosecutor in the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office (1993–1998), and Assistant U.S. Attorney (1998–2007).
He was confirmed unanimously by the Senate (97-0) and became Chief Judge in 2011.
Described as a “meticulous jurist” by Cody Wofsy of the ACLU, Laplante is respected for balancing legal precedent with practical outcomes.
