On Thursday, the US Supreme Court announced that it will hear arguments regarding President Donald Trump’s attempt to end birthright citizenship. The hearing is scheduled for May 15.
Gatekeepers News reports that the initiative originated on Trump’s first day in office when he signed an executive order aimed at limiting birthright citizenship for children whose parents are either undocumented immigrants or residing in the country on temporary visas. The executive order has faced numerous challenges and has been blocked by multiple appellate courts.
The case was appealed to the Supreme Court by Republicans on March 13.
Birthright citizenship is established by the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution, which specifies that anyone born on American soil is a citizen. This amendment was one of several enacted in the aftermath of the Civil War to secure rights for individuals who were formerly enslaved.
According to the 14th Amendment, “All persons born or naturalised in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”
The order of the president was premised on the idea that anyone in the United States illegally, or on a visa, was not subject to the jurisdiction of the country, and therefore excluded from this category.
The order was due to come into effect on 19 February, but faced multiple lawsuits around the country that resulted in judges halting it.
District Judge John Coughenour, who heard the case in Washington state, described the president’s executive order as blatantly unconstitutional.
“I’ve been on the bench for over four decades, I can’t remember another case where the question presented is as clear as this one is,” Coughenour said.
