Supreme Court Takes Up Birthright Citizenship Case

The Supreme Court is hearing arguments Wednesday on one of the most consequential immigration questions in decades: whether President Trump can use an executive order to end birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to undocumented immigrants.

The Fourteenth Amendment grants citizenship to "all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof." The Trump administration argues that the word "jurisdiction" gives the president authority to exclude children of undocumented immigrants from that guarantee.

Critics disagree, and they say the practical fallout could reach far beyond immigrant families. If birthright citizenship is narrowed, U.S. citizens could be required to document their children's immigration status at birth, a change that would affect families across the country.