The nation's highest court agrees to hear lawsuit disputing automatic citizenship for those born in the US.

The top court has agreed to take on a pivotal case that challenges a century-old constitutional right: birthright citizenship for those born on American soil.

On day one in office this January, the President issued an executive order aiming to terminate birthright citizenship, but the order was halted by federal courts after lawsuits were initiated.

The Supreme Court's ultimate judgment will ultimately uphold citizenship rights for the children of immigrants who are in the US undocumented or on short-term permits, or it will overturn those rights completely.

Next, the justices will schedule a date to hear arguments between the federal government and the suing parties, which include foreign-born parents and their newborns.

The Legal Foundation

For nearly 160 years, the 14th Amendment has established the doctrine that anyone born in the United States is a citizen, with specific conditions for children born to diplomats and members of foreign military forces.

"All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States."

The challenged presidential order sought to refuse citizenship to the offspring of people who are whether in the US without legal status or are in the country on non-permanent visas.

The United States is among about 30 countries – largely in the Western Hemisphere – that grant immediate citizenship to anyone born within their borders.