birthright citizenship
Born here, belong
Birthright citizenship is the principle that anyone born within a country's territory automatically becomes a citizen, regardless of their parents' nationality or immigration status.
In the United States, this right is guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment.
The concept is debated in immigration politics, with opponents sometimes using the disparaging term anchor baby for children born to non-citizens.
- Dred Scott decision1857 ruling denying Black citizenship
- passportGovernment-issued travel credential
- Fourteenth AmendmentPost-Civil War constitutional addition
- nationalityLegal belonging to country
- voting rightsEntitlement to elect officials
constitutional · expatriation · heritage · immigration law · undocumented immigrants · rights · Ellis Island · amendment · American · equal protection · jurisdiction · Civil Rights Act · documentation · allegiance · legal · deportation · anchor baby · border crossing
- immigrationimmigrant, immigrants, visa, refugee, asylum
- UK ImmigrationBritish passport, Home Office, immigration law, immigration officer, immigration status
- citizenshipnationality, passport, denaturalization, renunciation, oath of allegiance
- political controversiesabortion, gun control, voter suppression, gerrymandering, affirmative action
- tribal enrollmenttribal membership, membership criteria, enrollment office, blood quantum, disenrollment
- migrationmigration, immigrants, refugees, immigration, emigration
birthright citizenshipstatelessness
Having no recognized citizenship
undocumented status · permanent residency · denaturalization · denizenship · deportability
rebirth, citizen, citizens, birthing, birthright, citizenship, birthed, unbirthday, birthrights