US Supreme Court will review lawsuit disputing birthright citizenship.
The nation's highest court has agreed to take on a landmark case that challenges a century-old principle: automatic citizenship for people born on American soil.
On his first day in office this winter, President Donald Trump signed an order aiming to halt this practice, but the order was halted by the judiciary after lawsuits were filed.
The Supreme Court's ultimate decision will either uphold citizenship rights for the offspring of foreign nationals who are in the US without authorization or on short-term permits, or it will nullify those rights completely.
Next, the justices will calendar a session to hear arguments between the federal government and the suing parties, which include foreign-born parents and their newborns.
The 14th Amendment
For over a century and a half, the Constitutional amendment has established the rule that anyone born in the United States is a American citizen, with specific conditions for children born to diplomats and personnel of invading forces.
"Every individual born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States."
The disputed executive order sought to refuse citizenship to the children of people who are whether in the US illegally or are in the country on temporary visas.
The United States is one of about three dozen nations – primarily in the Americas – that grant immediate citizenship to any person born in their territory.
