US Supreme Court agrees to hear case disputing citizenship by birth.
The top court has agreed to take on a landmark case that puts to the test a historic guarantee: birthright citizenship for individuals born within US borders.
On day one in office this winter, the administration signed an order aiming to halt the policy, but the move was struck down by federal courts after lawsuits were initiated.
The Supreme Court's final decision will ultimately affirm citizenship rights for the offspring of foreign nationals who are in the US undocumented or on non-immigrant visas, or it will end those rights completely.
Next, the justices will schedule a date to hear arguments between the administration and the suing parties, which involve parents who are immigrants and their newborns.
A Constitutional Cornerstone
For nearly 160 years, the Constitutional amendment has enshrined the doctrine that every person born in the country is a citizen, with exceptions for children born to diplomats and members 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 refuse citizenship to the children of people who are whether in the US without legal status or are in the country on temporary visas.
The United States is among about 30 countries – mostly in the Western Hemisphere – that award instant citizenship to all those born in their territory.
