US Supreme Court has decided to hear lawsuit questioning automatic citizenship for those born in the US.
The US Supreme Court has decided to review a pivotal case that questions a century-old principle: guaranteed citizenship for individuals born on American soil.
On day one in office this January, the President issued an executive order aiming to end birthright citizenship, but the order was struck down by lower courts after legal challenges were brought forward.
The Supreme Court's final judgment will either uphold citizenship rights for the offspring of immigrants who are in the US without authorization or on short-term permits, or it will nullify the provision altogether.
Next, the court will schedule a date to hear oral arguments between the administration and the suing parties, which involve foreign-born parents and their newborns.
The Legal Foundation
For nearly 160 years, the Fourteenth Amendment has codified the principle that every person born in the country is a citizen, with certain exclusions for children born to embassy personnel and members of invading forces.
"All persons 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 offspring of people who are whether in the US illegally or are in the country on temporary visas.
The United States is among about a minority of states – largely in the Western Hemisphere – that grant instant citizenship to anyone born within their borders.
