US Supreme Court hears case on birthright citizenship rights

US Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments on Birthright Citizenship Policy

The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Wednesday in a case challenging President Donald Trump’s effort to end the practice of granting citizenship to anyone born in the United States. Hundreds of protesters, including representatives from civil rights and immigration advocacy groups, gathered outside the court during the proceedings.

Lawyers for the Trump administration argued that the policy, which has been in place for over 100 years, is based on a “misreading” of the US Constitution. They maintained that citizenship should not be granted to infants born to parents living in the US without documentation or those on temporary legal statuses.

In contrast, lawyers challenging the policy argued that it runs counter to the US Constitution and subsequent federal law. The 14th Amendment to the US Constitution, ratified in 1868, has been interpreted by some as granting citizenship to all people born in the US, regardless of their parents’ legal status.

The court’s conservative supermajority, which includes three justices appointed by Trump, heard oral arguments on the issue. President Trump attended the hearing, making him the first sitting president to do so. The Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling on the case later this year.

Protesters gathered outside the court expressed their concerns about the potential impact of the policy change on immigrants and their families. Some saw Trump’s attendance as an attempt to sway the judges in his favor. Others, like Luis Villaguzman, a student fellow with the League of United Latin American Citizens, argued that the policy would have devastating consequences for mothers-to-be and their unborn children.

The court’s decision will determine the future of birthright citizenship in the US. At least 30 countries have similar practices to the US on birthright citizenship.

Source: Al Jazeera