America started doing so at the end of the civil war. The constitution was amended then to overturn the Dred Scott decision of 1857, which held that black people were not Americans. The 14th Amendment ensured that freed slaves and their children would henceforth be citizens.

President Trump has signed an executive order to effectively end birthright citizenship. Here's what it means, and how the 14th Amendment is related.

A federal judge in Seattle issued a blistering rebuke to block President Donald Trump's executive order to end birthright citizenship. A lawsuit filed Tuesday in the Western District of Washington came after Trump signed an executive order that claimed a baby born in America must have at least one parent who is either a citizen or a lawful permanent resident to automatically qualify