US Supreme Court has decided to review lawsuit questioning birthright citizenship.
The top court has agreed to take on a significant case that puts to the test a century-old guarantee: birthright citizenship for people born within US borders.
On his first day in office this January, the administration enacted a directive aiming to terminate the policy, but the move was subsequently blocked by the judiciary after legal challenges were filed.
The Supreme Court's ultimate judgment will either affirm citizenship rights for the infants of foreign nationals who are in the US without authorization or on temporary visas, or it will overturn the provision entirely.
Next, the judges will calendar a session to hear oral arguments between the administration and claimants, which involve parents who are immigrants and their infants.
The 14th Amendment
For nearly 160 years, the 14th Amendment has codified the principle that all individuals born in the nation is a citizen, with specific conditions 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 contested presidential order sought to refuse citizenship to the offspring of people who are whether in the US in violation of immigration law or are in the country on temporary visas.
The United States is among about a minority of states – largely in the North and South America – that grant automatic citizenship to all those born in their territory.
