US Birthright Citizenship: Who Gets To Be American Citizen?

Donald Trump sought to end automatic US citizenship for many children born in the country. The Supreme Court has now rejected that effort. (Image: News18 Creative)

The court struck down US President Donald Trump’s executive order that sought to deny automatic US citizenship to many children born in the country. (Image: News18 Creative)

What Is Birthright Citizenship?
It is the rule that almost anyone born on US soil automatically becomes an American citizen at birth. (Image: News18 Creative)

Donald Trump argued that the 14th Amendment was never meant to cover children born to people who entered the US illegally or were only temporarily in the country. (Image: News18 Creative)

The Supreme Court relied heavily on the 1898 Wong Kim Ark decision that confirmed a child born in San Francisco to Chinese parents was an American citizen even though his parents were not eligible for US citizenship themselves. (Image: News18 Creative)

Who Does Not Get Birthright Citizenship?
It generally does not apply to children born in the US to:
- Foreign Diplomats
- Enemy Forces (Image: News18 Creative)

Children born in the US will continue to receive:
- American citizenship at the birth
- A US passport
- The right to vote when they become adults
- Protection from deportation as US citizens. (Image: News18 Creative)

The constitutional rule remains exactly as it has for more than 150 years. (Image: News18 Creative)

The US is one of the few developed countries that still grants nearly unrestricted birthright citizenship. (Image: News18 Creative)