America's top judicial body has decided to hear case disputing birthright citizenship.
The nation's highest court has agreed to take on a significant case that puts to the test a historic guarantee: guaranteed citizenship for people born in the United States.
On the inaugural day in office this January, the administration signed an order aiming to halt birthright citizenship, but the action was halted by federal courts after constitutional questions were initiated.
The Supreme Court's final judgment will either support citizenship rights for the children of immigrants who are in the US undocumented or on non-immigrant visas, or it will nullify them entirely.
Next, the court will set a time to hear the case between the federal government and plaintiffs, which comprise parents who are immigrants and their young children.
The 14th Amendment
For more than 150 years, the Constitutional amendment has established the rule that anyone born in the nation is a citizen, with specific conditions 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 disputed directive sought to deny citizenship to the offspring 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 a minority of states – mostly in the North and South America – that provide automatic citizenship to all those born in their territory.
