The nation's highest court agrees to consider lawsuit questioning citizenship by birth.

The nation's highest court has agreed to take on a landmark case that challenges a historic principle: birthright citizenship for people born on American soil.

On his first day in office this January, the administration enacted a directive aiming to end this practice, but the action was struck down by the judiciary after constitutional questions were filed.

The Supreme Court's ultimate ruling will either affirm citizenship rights for the offspring of immigrants who are in the US illegally or on non-immigrant visas, or it will end those rights altogether.

Next, the judges will set a time to hear the case between the government and the suing parties, which involve foreign-born parents and their infants.

The 14th Amendment

For nearly 160 years, the Constitutional amendment has codified the doctrine that every person born in the nation is a citizen, with certain exclusions 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 directive sought to withhold citizenship to the offspring of people who are either in the US in violation of immigration law or are in the country on short-term status.

The United States is among about three dozen nations – primarily in the North and South America – that provide automatic citizenship to anyone born within their borders.