Next week, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to weigh in<\/a> on\u00a0President Donald Trump’s attempt to end birthright citizenship\u00a0by executive order, a move which would upend more than a century of legal\u00a0precedent and a national tradition that have said babies born on American soil are automatically American citizens.<\/p>\n The ruling, one of the most highly anticipated of the year<\/a>, is a major test of Trump’s unprecedented assertion of\u00a0presidential\u00a0power in his second term with major stakes for millions of children and their families<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n A view of the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, June 8, 2026.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Jonathan Ernst\/Reuters<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n What is birthright citizenshi<\/strong>p<\/strong>?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Birthright citizenship\u00a0is the idea that a child automatically becomes a citizen of the country in which they are born, regardless of the immigration status of their\u00a0parents.<\/p>\n It reflects the principle of\u00a0jus soli, or right of the soil, extending citizenship purely on the basis of geographic location.\u00a0<\/p>\n By contrast, many countries extend citizenship under the principle of\u00a0jus sanguinis,\u00a0or right of blood, which is determined by the nationality of a child’s parents regardless of the location of birth.\u00a0<\/p>\n How does birthright citizenshi<\/strong>p<\/strong>\u00a0work in the U.S.?<\/strong><\/p>\n With few exceptions, all babies born on U.S. soil become U.S. citizens.<\/p>\n For the approximately 3.6 million children born in American hospitals every year, the birth certificate alone has been the key to obtaining Social Security numbers,\u00a0passports and early life benefits.<\/p>\n Into adulthood, the birth certificate has been universally recognized as\u00a0proof of citizenship\u00a0for such things as voter registration, employment, home loans and military service.\u00a0<\/p>\n What does the Constitution say about birthright citizenshi<\/strong>p<\/strong>?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n The 14th Amendment, which was ratified in 1868 to address the legal status of former slaves and their descendants, says\u00a0plainly that all “persons born or naturalized in the U.S. and subject to the jurisdiction thereof” are citizens.\u00a0<\/p>\n Congress later codified the same language in federal citizenship\u00a0law enacted in 1940.<\/p>\n Courts and the government have repeatedly interpreted the 14th Amendment to unambiguously confer citizenship\u00a0on all children born in the U.S., including babies of unauthorized noncitizens and temporary residents, such as asylum seekers, international students, tourists and seasonal workers.\u00a0<\/p>\n Do other countries allow birthright citizenshi<\/strong>p<\/strong>?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Yes. Thirty-two other countries have citizenship\u00a0laws nearly identical to the U.S., according to data compiled by the\u00a0Pew Research Center. Roughly 50 more have limited versions of birthright citizenship.<\/p>\n The most inclusive citizenship\u00a0policies are in countries in the Western Hemisphere. Brazil, Canada, Argentina and Mexico, for example, closely mirror American law.<\/p>\n Pakistan, Chad and Mozambique are other notable comparators to the U.S.\u00a0<\/p>\n European countries have historically been more restrictive when it comes to citizenship. France, Greece and Spain extend citizenship\u00a0at birth only to children whose\u00a0parents were also born in those countries.\u00a0<\/p>\n Australia, Germany and the United Kingdom grant automatic citizenship\u00a0to any child born to a legal resident.<\/p>\n![\"Congress\"](\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/71d4d1a8-0006-4917-807a-3d71c7fd2a0c\/scotus-2-rt-gmh-260611_1781182240286_hpMain.jpg?w=375 "\\"Congress\\"")
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