US Supreme Court has decided to review lawsuit challenging automatic citizenship for those born in the US.

The US Supreme Court has decided to review a pivotal case that puts to the test a century-old principle: birthright citizenship for people born within US borders.

On his first day in office this January, the President signed an order aiming to halt the policy, but the action was struck down by the judiciary after lawsuits were brought forward.

The Supreme Court's ultimate judgment will ultimately affirm citizenship rights for the children of foreign nationals who are in the US without authorization or on short-term permits, or it will nullify them entirely.

Next, the judges will schedule a date to hear the case between the government and plaintiffs, which comprise parents who are immigrants and their young children.

A Constitutional Cornerstone

For over a century and a half, the Fourteenth Amendment has established the principle that every person born in the United States is a American citizen, with specific conditions for children born to diplomats and members of invading forces.

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

The contested executive order sought to deny citizenship to the offspring of people who are either in the US illegally or are in the country on temporary visas.

The United States is among about 30 countries – largely in the Americas – that grant automatic citizenship to all those born within their borders.