America's top judicial body agrees to review lawsuit challenging birthright citizenship.

The top court has decided to review a pivotal case that questions a century-old principle: automatic citizenship for those born on American soil.

On his first day in office this winter, the President enacted a directive aiming to terminate birthright citizenship, but the move was subsequently blocked by the judiciary after lawsuits were filed.

The Supreme Court's final judgment will ultimately affirm citizenship rights for the offspring of migrants who are in the US undocumented or on short-term permits, or it will nullify them completely.

Next, the court will set a time to hear arguments between the federal government and the suing parties, which include parents who are immigrants and their newborns.

The Legal Foundation

For nearly 160 years, the Fourteenth Amendment has enshrined the rule that all individuals born in the United States is a citizen, with certain exclusions for children born to diplomats and personnel 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 deny citizenship to the children of people who are either in the US in violation of immigration law or are in the country on non-permanent visas.

The United States is among about a minority of states – mostly in the North and South America – that award automatic citizenship to anyone born within their borders.