India, June 30 -- The US Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected President Donald Trump's attempt to restrict birthright citizenship in the United States - a right long woven into the fabric of American society - scuttling one of his top priorities in his crackdown on immigration.

In a 6-3 split, the justices upheld a lower court's decision blocking Trump's executive order directing US agencies not to recognise the citizenship of children born in the United States if neither parent is an American citizen or a legal permanent resident, also called a "green card" holder.

Trump had issued the order last year on his first day back in office as part of a suite of policies to crack down on legal and illegal immigration. Critics have accused the Rep...