US Citizenship

[Agent Zero]

Are Puerto Ricans US Citizens?

[hanger4]

Yes

[The Xl]

To my understanding, they are citizens, but Puerto Rico is not a state, it's a commonwealth.

[jimmyz]

Are Puerto Ricans and their plight a political football to be used against president Trump like the OP wants?

[Peter1469]

yes

[hanger4]

What's your point Agent Zero ?? the answer to your question is a 2 second Google search.

[Chris]

To my understanding, they are citizens, but Puerto Rico is not a state, it's a commonwealth.

They call themselves that, but technically they're a territory and by virtue of that, citizens.

Don't they have a representative in the House?

[hanger4]

They call themselves that, but technically they're a territory and by virtue of that, citizens.

Don't they have a representative in the House?

Yes one, as does American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the US Virgin Islands. All non voting in the full house.

[JVV]

The better question would, "Before Hurricane Maria, did you know they were citizens?"

If people would answer that honestly, it would be telling.

Good chance that Trump didn't know they were.

[Peter1469]

The better question would, "Before Hurricane Maria, did you know they were citizens?"

If people would answer that honestly, it would be telling.

Good chance that Trump didn't know they were.
yes

[Newpublius]

They're US citizens but there is an interesting historical caveat here. After the Civil War the XIV Amendment defines citizenship. Specifically establishing jus soli, or being born in the US is sufficient to establish US citizenship. Now, a series of cases, called the Insular Cases, dealing with US colonialism, ie the fruits of the Spanish-American War, would eventually rule that people on Puerto Rico were not citizens because of the XIV Amendment.

To this day, the concept of being a Puerto Rican citizen, as being separate and distinct from US citizenship, remains.

Of course Congress passes a statute granting the people of Puerto Rico US Citizenship. That's fine, the US Congress though possesses the right to make a 'uniform rule of naturalization' -- it does not actually have the power to define citizenship. There's a nuance in there of course, the point being is that if Congress can bestow citizenship by statute, it would obviously have the power to revoke citizenship, again, merely by statute. Of course, when one acquires citizenship by virtue of the XIV Amendment, no statute can alter that (a statute cannot amend an amendment).

[Dr. Who]

The better question would, "Before Hurricane Maria, did you know they were citizens?"

If people would answer that honestly, it would be telling.

Good chance that Trump didn't know they were.
Jus soli has been the law in Puerto Rico since 1941. You'd have to be pretty old to remember when being born in Puerto Rico didn't automatically confer US citizenship. Anyone thinking otherwise must have skipped both social studies and history when they were in school.

[Newpublius]

Jus soli has been the law in Puerto Rico since 1941. You'd have to be pretty old to remember when being born in Puerto Rico didn't automatically confer US citizenship. Anyone thinking otherwise must have skipped both social studies and history when they were in school.

Thought it was WWI.....

[Captain Obvious]

The better question would, "Before Hurricane Maria, did you know they were citizens?"

If people would answer that honestly, it would be telling.

Good chance that Trump didn't know they were.

Yup

[Dr. Who]

Thought it was WWI.....
Prior to 1941, but after 1917 PR citizens could naturalize by choosing US citizenship. Their children became US citizens by virtue of jus sanguinis.

[Cletus]

Puerto Rican citizenship is complicated and contradictory.

Constitutionally, the answer is "No, they are not constitutionally entitled to citizenship". However, that issue is complicated by an act of Congress in 1940 that granted people born on Puerto Rican soil birthright citizenship. Puerto Ricans born before January 13, 1941 must apply for naturalization in order to become citizens.

The correct answer to the question posited in the poll is the SOME Puerto Ricans are US citizens.

[Cthulhu]

Puerto Rican citizenship is complicated and contradictory.

Constitutionally, the answer is "No, they are not constitutionally entitled to citizenship". However, that issue is complicated by and act of Congress in 1940 that granted people born on Puerto Rican soil birthright citizenship. Puerto Ricans born before January 13, 1941 must apply for naturalization in order to become citizens.

The correct answer to the question posited in the poll is the SOME Puerto Ricans are US citizens.Good to know.

Agent Zero is butt hurt I asked him if they were a state or not. He refused to answer in another thread.

My understanding was that if you're born in the states - you're a citizen. Didn't know that applied to PR though.

Thanks for an informative post.

Sent from my evil cell phone.

[Common]

Of course but they are not a state and cannot vote

[resister]

A better question, if a hurricane had not hit PR, would the OP give a shit if it did not provide an opportunity to attack Trump?

[Bethere]

Prior to 1941, but after 1917 PR citizens could naturalize by choosing US citizenship. Their children became US citizens by virtue of jus sanguinis.

Yep.

Americans love to claim that we were attacked at Pearl Harbor. And yet Hawaii was a territory. Now? Well, let's just say there was no chance that trump knew Puerto Ricans are US citizens, too.

[resister]

Yep.

Americans love to claim that we were attacked at Pearl Harbor. And yet Hawaii was a territory. Now? Well, let's just say there was no chance that trump knew Puerto Ricans are US citizens, too.
The Japanese are responsible for the attack on pearl harbor. How shameful and guilt inducing!

[Peter1469]

Yep.

Americans love to claim that we were attacked at Pearl Harbor. And yet Hawaii was a territory. Now? Well, let's just say there was no chance that trump knew Puerto Ricans are US citizens, too.

TDS at the max.

[Docthehun]

To my understanding, they are citizens, but Puerto Rico is not a state, it's a commonwealth.

I think both Massachusetts & Virginia are as well. There probably are others.

[Chris]

Yep.

Americans love to claim that we were attacked at Pearl Harbor. And yet Hawaii was a territory. Now? Well, let's just say there was no chance that trump knew Puerto Ricans are US citizens, too.

A territory of the US is the US.

Citizenship, as the above thread indicates, is more complicated.

These things are interesting. Trump and hatred for him boring.

[Tahuyaman]

Yep.

Americans love to claim that we were attacked at Pearl Harbor. And yet Hawaii was a territory. Now? Well, let's just say there was no chance that trump knew Puerto Ricans are US citizens, too.

In Pearl Harbor our navy was attacked. The Japenese weren't attacking Hawaii.


The creative ways people invent to attack Trump show that they suffer from a mental disorder.

[Agent Zero]

In Pearl Harbor our navy was attacked. The Japenese weren't attacking Hawaii.


The creative ways people invent to attack Trump show that they suffer from a mental disorder.
Creative? Your needle throwing was quite creative, wasn't it? And that's about all.

Because your uneducated assertion was proven wrong the day Japan invaded Hawaii. They didn't invade our Navy, did they?

[Tahuyaman]

Creative? Your needle throwing was quite creative, wasn't it? And that's about all.

Because your uneducated assertion was proven wrong the day Japan invaded Hawaii. They didn't invade our Navy, did they?
"

If our naval were elsewhere, they would have attacked there. Hawaii wasn't the target. Our naval forces were. If Hawaii itself was the objective, they would have followed up with an invasion complete with ground forces.


Are you really going to deny this? Really? Every time you make the most absurd comment one can imagine, you top it.

[Peter1469]

Creative? Your needle throwing was quite creative, wasn't it? And that's about all.

Because your uneducated assertion was proven wrong the day Japan invaded Hawaii. They didn't invade our Navy, did they?
Japan couldn't invade Japan. They didn't have the resources. Think attack. Not invasion.

They were attacking US military targets in Hawaii.

[waltky]

"lied under oath about his criminal activities and involvement...
:shocked:
DOJ Sues to Revoke Citizenship of Convicted Felon Who Led Florida Drug Ring
July 30, 2018 | DOJ Attempting to Revoke Citizenship of Convicted Felon Who Led Florida Drug Ring


The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a denaturalization lawsuit Thursday against 42-year-old Melchor Munoz-Correa, the former leader of a drug organization in Florida, for not disclosing his criminal activities in his naturalization proceedings. Munoz, a native of Mexico, led a six-person conspiracy to distribute marijuana and cocaine throughout the southeast United States between 2008 and 2011. According to the DOJ announcement (https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-seeks-revoke-citizenship-convicted-felon-who-led-drug-organization-florida), “Munoz distributed to co-conspirators an average of 80 pounds of marijuana on approximately 60 separate occasions between 2008 and 2010, keeping 400 to 500 pounds of marijuana, gallon zip-lock bags of methamphetamine, and multiple blocks of cocaine on hand most of the time.”


In 2012, Munoz plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 100 kilograms or more of marijuana. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida found Munoz guilty and sentenced him to 188 months’ imprisonment and five years of supervised release, which Munoz is currently serving. However, Munoz filed his naturalization application in June 2009, and when interviewed in July 2009, lied under oath about his criminal activities and involvement. The DOJ has now filed a lawsuit to strip Munoz of his citizenship.


Munoz defrauded the U.S. government and is now being held accountable, Homeland Security Investigations Deputy Executive Associate Director Derek Benner: “This criminal led a drug organization responsible for conspiring to distribute massive amounts of cocaine and marijuana, all while he defrauded the government during his naturalization process. “Today he is being held accountable for his lies and stands to lose one of the greatest benefits our country offers, citizenship, which he obtained by defrauding immigration authorities.”


https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/jonathan-mizrahi/doj-sues-revoke-citizenship-convicted-felon-who-led-florida-drug-ring

[Captdon]

They call themselves that, but technically they're a territory and by virtue of that, citizens.

Don't they have a representative in the House?

Yes, but non-voting.