US Supreme Court agrees to hear case challenging birthright citizenship

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case regarding whether the century-old constitutional right to guaranteed citizenship for those born in the United States will still stand.

On his first day in office in January, President Donald Trump signed an order ending birthright citizenship, but the move was blocked by lower courts after it was challenged on its constitutionality.

The Supreme Court’s final ruling either upheld or ended the citizenship rights of children of immigrants who are in the United States illegally or on temporary visas.

Next, the justices will set a date to hear oral arguments between the government and the plaintiffs, who include the migrant parents and their infants.

Nearly 160 years ago, the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution established the principle that anyone born in the country is a U.S. citizen, with exceptions for children born to diplomats and foreign military forces.

The language of the amendment states: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.”

Trump’s executive order sought to deny citizenship to children of people who are in the United States illegally or in the country on temporary visas.

The United States is one of about 30 countries – most of them in the Americas – that grant automatic citizenship to anyone born within its borders.