14th Amendment guarantees U.S. citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil . The United Kingdom amended its laws in 1981 to provide that only children born to citizens , or permanent residents born in the U.K. , are citizens at birth . Cristina Rodriguez says that 's been crucial for cohesive , casteless U.S. society . The Supreme Court ruled in 1898 that the children of illegal immigrants were not automatically American citizens and could be deported if they failed a test proving their parents had legal status.
14th Amendment guarantees U.S. citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil . Cristina Rodriguez says that 's been crucial for cohesive , casteless U.S. society . The Supreme Court ruled in 1898 that the children of illegal immigrants were not automatically American citizens and could be deported if they failed a test proving their parents had legal status.