The nation's highest court has decided to review legal challenge challenging birthright citizenship.
The top court has agreed to take on a significant case that questions a longstanding guarantee: birthright citizenship for individuals born on American soil.
On his first day in office this winter, the administration issued an executive order aiming to end this practice, but the move was struck down by lower courts after constitutional questions were brought forward.
The Supreme Court's eventual decision will either affirm citizenship rights for the infants of foreign nationals who are in the US without authorization or on non-immigrant visas, or it will nullify them altogether.
Next, the court will set a time to hear oral arguments between the administration and claimants, which involve immigrant parents and their newborns.
The Legal Foundation
For nearly 160 years, the Constitutional amendment has codified the doctrine that anyone born in the country is a American citizen, with exceptions for children born to diplomats and members of foreign military forces.
"Every individual born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States."
The disputed directive sought to deny citizenship to the children of people who are either in the US without legal status or are in the country on temporary visas.
The United States belongs to a group of about a minority of states – primarily in the Americas – that award automatic citizenship to all those born in their territory.
