U.S. citizenship to be focus of congressional hearing Wednesday

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(The Center Square) – Protecting U.S. citizenship will be the subject of a Congressional hearing Wednesday, less than two weeks before Americans celebrate the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding.

The U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary’s Subcommittee on the Constitution will hold the hearing at the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

The hearing comes as lawmakers continue debating issues surrounding citizenship, immigration policy, and national security. The hearing will be chaired by Sen. Eric Schmitt, with Sen. Peter Welch serving as ranking member.

The hearing is expected to combine many of the themes that have emerged in previous constitutional and immigration hearings, examining topics ranging from naturalized citizenship and ongoing immigration policy debates to congressional oversight of immigration-related issues raised in past hearings.

On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order seeking to deny automatic U.S. citizenship to babies born on American soil to parents who are neither US citizens nor lawful residents, also known as birthright citizenship. The executive order was challenged in the courts on  Trump v. Barbara case, and the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on the case before the end of June.