US Supreme Court will review lawsuit disputing birthright citizenship.
The nation's highest court has agreed to take on a pivotal case that puts to the test a century-old principle: birthright citizenship for individuals born on American soil.
On his first day in office this winter, the President issued an executive order aiming to terminate this practice, but the move was subsequently blocked by the judiciary after lawsuits were filed.
The Supreme Court's ultimate judgment will either affirm citizenship rights for the offspring of immigrants who are in the US illegally or on short-term permits, or it will end the provision completely.
Next, the court will schedule a date to hear arguments between the federal government and plaintiffs, which include immigrant parents and their young children.
A Constitutional Cornerstone
For over a century and a half, the Fourteenth Amendment has codified the principle that all individuals born in the country is a American citizen, with exceptions for children born to foreign diplomats and personnel of invading forces.
"Anyone born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States."
The challenged directive sought to withhold citizenship to the offspring of people who are either in the US in violation of immigration law or are in the country on non-permanent visas.
The United States is one of about a minority of states – primarily in the North and South America – that provide immediate citizenship to all those born within their borders.
