The nation's highest court has decided to hear lawsuit disputing birthright citizenship.
The nation's highest court has decided to review a pivotal case that puts to the test a century-old constitutional right: guaranteed citizenship for those born on American soil.
On day one in office this January, the administration issued an executive order aiming to terminate the policy, but the order was halted by federal courts after lawsuits were filed.
The Supreme Court's final judgment will ultimately support citizenship rights for the offspring of immigrants who are in the US undocumented or on short-term permits, or it will overturn those rights completely.
Next, the justices will schedule a date to hear the case between the federal government and the suing parties, which comprise foreign-born parents and their newborns.
The 14th Amendment
For over a century and a half, the Constitutional amendment has codified the rule that all individuals born in the United States is a citizen, with exceptions for children born to 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 contested presidential order sought to withhold citizenship to the offspring of people who are either in the US illegally or are in the country on temporary visas.
The United States is one of about three dozen nations – largely in the North and South America – that grant instant citizenship to anyone born within their borders.
