US Supreme Court agrees to review lawsuit challenging birthright citizenship.
The top court has will hear a landmark case that puts to the test a century-old constitutional right: guaranteed citizenship for those born within US borders.
On day one in office this January, President Donald Trump enacted a directive aiming to end birthright citizenship, but the order was struck down by lower courts after lawsuits were initiated.
The Supreme Court's final judgment will either support citizenship rights for the infants of immigrants who are in the US without authorization or on temporary visas, or it will overturn them entirely.
Next, the judges will calendar a session to hear arguments between the administration and plaintiffs, which comprise immigrant parents and their young children.
A Constitutional Cornerstone
For more than 150 years, the Fourteenth Amendment has established the principle that all individuals born in the country is a US citizen, with exceptions for children born to foreign diplomats and personnel of occupying armies.
"All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States."
The challenged executive order sought to withhold citizenship to the children of people who are whether in the US illegally or are in the country on non-permanent visas.
The United States belongs to a group of about 30 countries – mostly in the North and South America – that grant automatic citizenship to all those born in their territory.
