The nation's highest court has decided to review lawsuit challenging birthright citizenship.
The top court has decided to review a pivotal case that questions a century-old guarantee: birthright citizenship for people born within US borders.
On his first day in office this winter, President Donald Trump enacted a directive aiming to terminate birthright citizenship, but the move was struck down by lower courts after lawsuits were filed.
The Supreme Court's final ruling will ultimately support citizenship rights for the offspring of immigrants who are in the US undocumented or on short-term permits, or it will nullify those rights completely.
Next, the court will schedule a date to hear arguments between the government and plaintiffs, which include foreign-born parents and their young children.
The 14th Amendment
For over a century and a half, the Constitutional amendment has established the doctrine that all individuals born in the nation is a citizen, with exceptions for children born to embassy personnel and personnel of foreign military forces.
"Anyone born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States."
The contested directive sought to refuse citizenship to the offspring of people who are either in the US in violation of immigration law or are in the country on short-term status.
The United States belongs to a group of about 30 countries – primarily in the North and South America – that provide automatic citizenship to all those born within their borders.
