A judge in the United States on Thursday temporarily blocked an executive order by President Donald Trump that seeks to end birthright citizenship, calling it “blatantly unconstitutional”, reported Reuters.

On January 21, shortly after being sworn in as the US president, Trump signed a series of executive orders, including one to stop automatically granting citizenship to those born in the US in specific scenarios.

This came despite broad legal consensus that the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution guarantees birthright citizenship.

Twenty-two states, as well as several groups working on immigrants’ rights, filed at least five lawsuits against the order, the AP reported. A lawsuit filed by the states of Washington, Arizona, Oregon and Illinois was the first to be heard on Thursday.

“I’ve been on the bench for over four decades. I can’t remember another case where the question presented was as clear as this one is,” the AP quoted John Coughenour, the federal judge hearing the case, as saying. “This is a blatantly unconstitutional order.”

The court ruling prevents the United States government from implementing the order for 14 days. The case will be heard next on February 6.

Trump said his administration will appeal against the ruling.

Through the executive order on January 21, Trump directed federal agencies to refuse to automatically recognise citizenship for children who were born in the United States to mothers who were in the country illegally or were there legally on temporary visas, if the father is not a United States citizen or a green card holder.

A green card, officially known as a Permanent Resident Card, allows an individual to stay and work permanently in the United States.

The order applied to those born after February 19.

Attorney generals of Democratic Party-ruled states and immigrant rights advocates assert that birthright citizenship is settled law and that the president is not above the Constitution.

The 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution says that all persons “born or naturalised in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and the State wherein they reside”.