The Supreme Court is expected to address the issue of birthright citizenship, which has been a topic of debate in the U.S. The practice, which grants automatic citizenship to nearly everyone born on U.S. soil, has been in place since the 14th Amendment was ratified in 1868.

History of Birthright Citizenship

Birthright citizenship was initially intended to ensure that former slaves would be citizens. Over time, it has been expanded to include children of immigrants, with the Supreme Court ruling that anyone born in the U.S. is a citizen, including if their parents are in the U.S. illegally or temporarily.

The Trump administration has challenged this practice, with President Donald Trump calling it a "disgrace" and a "magnet for illegal immigration". The administration argues that the phrase "subject to the jurisdiction thereof" in the 14th Amendment means that the U.S. can deny citizenship to babies born to women who are in the country illegally.

Global Perspective

While the U.S. is not the only country with birthright citizenship, it is one of the few that grants it automatically to nearly everyone born on its soil. Dozens of other countries have a mixed approach, using a variety of principles to decide a child's citizenship.

Original reporting: NBC6 Miami — read the source article.