America's top judicial body agrees to hear lawsuit disputing citizenship by birth.
The US Supreme Court has will hear a pivotal case that questions a historic constitutional right: birthright citizenship for those born in the United States.
On the inaugural day in office this winter, the administration issued an executive order aiming to halt this practice, but the order was struck down by federal courts after lawsuits were filed.
The Supreme Court's ultimate ruling will either support citizenship rights for the offspring of foreign nationals who are in the US illegally or on temporary visas, or it will end the provision altogether.
Next, the justices will schedule a date to hear arguments between the federal government and the suing parties, which include parents who are immigrants and their young children.
The 14th Amendment
For over a century and a half, the 14th Amendment has enshrined the doctrine that every person born in the United States is a citizen, with certain exclusions for children born to embassy personnel 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 deny citizenship to the offspring of people who are either in the US illegally or are in the country on temporary visas.
The United States belongs to a group of about 30 countries – primarily in the Western Hemisphere – that award automatic citizenship to all those born on their soil.
