I think this is the referenced case: ... United States v. Wong Kim Ark, 169 U.S. 649 (1898), is a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court ruled that a child born in the United States of Chinese citizens, who had at the time a permanent domicile and residence in the United States and who were carrying on business there other than for the Chinese government, automatically became a U.S. citizen.[1] ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United...._Wong_Kim_Ark

Interesting case. One difference jumps out: the Chinese were not here illegally. They were here by treaty.