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Map: These are the countries that allow birthright citizenship
Updated: 4:40 PM EDT May 15, 2025
The U.S. is among more than 30 countries that allow for unrestricted birthright citizenship. Birthright citizenship means that a person born in a country, regardless of their parents’ immigration status, is automatically a citizen of that country. It’s a right based on soil — jus soli — rather than blood, jus sanguinis. The U.S. Supreme Court began hearing arguments Thursday over the issue after a January Trump executive order called to end automatic birthright citizenship. Three lower courts issued a nationwide pause on the order, which raised questions on the extent of judicial oversight powers.Most of the countries that allow for birthright citizenship are concentrated in North and South America. Both U.S. neighbors, Canada and Mexico, allow for unrestricted birthright citizenship, as well as all but two countries in South America. In the Eastern Hemisphere, Lesotho, Tanzania and Pakistan are among the countries that grant automatic citizenship to those born on their soil.PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=
The U.S. is among more than 30 countries that allow for unrestricted birthright citizenship.
Birthright citizenship means that a person born in a country, regardless of their parents’ immigration status, is automatically a citizen of that country. It’s a right based on soil — jus soli — rather than blood, jus sanguinis.
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The U.S. Supreme Court began hearing arguments Thursday over the issue after a January Trump executive order called to end automatic birthright citizenship. Three lower courts issued a nationwide pause on the order, which raised questions on the extent of judicial oversight powers.
Most of the countries that allow for birthright citizenship are concentrated in North and South America.
Both U.S. neighbors, Canada and Mexico, allow for unrestricted birthright citizenship, as well as all but two countries in South America.
In the Eastern Hemisphere, Lesotho, Tanzania and Pakistan are among the countries that grant automatic citizenship to those born on their soil.
