The nation's highest court will hear legal challenge disputing birthright citizenship.

The nation's highest court has agreed to take on a landmark case that puts to the test a historic principle: automatic citizenship for individuals born in the United States.

On his first day in office this winter, the President issued an executive order aiming to end birthright citizenship, but the action was halted by lower courts after legal challenges were brought forward.

The Supreme Court's final ruling will ultimately uphold citizenship rights for the offspring of foreign nationals who are in the US illegally or on temporary visas, or it will nullify them entirely.

Next, the judges will set a time to hear oral arguments between the federal government and the suing parties, which comprise immigrant parents and their newborns.

The 14th Amendment

For nearly 160 years, the Constitutional amendment has codified the doctrine that all individuals born in the country is a citizen, with certain exclusions for children born to embassy personnel and personnel of invading forces.

"Every individual born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States."

The contested executive order sought to deny citizenship to the children of people who are either in the US without legal status or are in the country on temporary visas.

The United States is among about a minority of states – primarily in the North and South America – that award automatic citizenship to all those born within their borders.