A cornerstone of President Donald Trump’s bid to reshape the U.S. immigration system has run into an early roadblock: an octogenarian federal judge in Seattle.
In just 24 hours, John Coughenour, a U.S. district judge appointed by Ronald Reagan, has emerged as a celebrity among opponents of the new president’s agenda. The 83-year-old jurist, who stopped riding his Harley-Davidson just a few years ago at the urging of his wife, has long been known for directing tough questions at lawyers arguing cases in his courtroom.
Coughenour’s probing, no-nonsense style was on full display Thursday in one of the highest-profile cases of his four-decades on the bench. He did little to hide that he was highly skeptical of the Trump executive order limiting birthright citizenship, as he weighed a bid from Washington state to block the administration’s plans.
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