Birthright Citizenship: The Constitution Leaves Little Room for Debate

The U.S. Supreme Court has reaffirmed that birthright citizenship is a constitutional principle established by the 14th Amendment, which states that all persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to its jurisdiction are citizens. This ruling, based on over 125 years of precedent including United States v. Wong Kim Ark, rejected arguments that the amendment only applied to freed slaves or that it could be changed by executive order, emphasizing that Congress—not the President—has the authority to alter citizenship laws.