The nation's highest court agrees to review case challenging citizenship by birth.

The nation's highest court has will hear a landmark case that challenges a century-old guarantee: guaranteed citizenship for individuals born in the United States.

On his first day in office this January, the President issued an executive order aiming to end birthright citizenship, but the move was halted by federal courts after legal challenges were brought forward.

The Supreme Court's final judgment will either support citizenship rights for the infants of immigrants who are in the US without authorization or on temporary visas, or it will overturn the provision altogether.

Next, the justices will schedule a date to hear the case between the federal government and claimants, which comprise immigrant parents and their infants.

The 14th Amendment

For over a century and a half, the Constitutional amendment has established the doctrine that all individuals born in the country is a American citizen, with exceptions for children born to embassy personnel and personnel 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 challenged presidential order sought to withhold citizenship to the offspring of people who are either in the US without legal status or are in the country on temporary visas.

The United States is one of about a minority of states – mostly in the Americas – that provide immediate citizenship to all those born in their territory.