On Sept. 17, we commemorate the signing of the U.S. Constitution in 1787, marking the start of Constitution Week. For many Americans, the observance passes without notice. But for immigrants pursuing citizenship, the Constitution is not abstract; it is something they must study, memorize, and prove they understand. Applicants for naturalization take a civics test covering core principles, from the Bill of Rights to the roles of government branches. They often know the Constitution better than the average citizen – and sometimes better than elected officials sworn to uphold it.
Why so many live in the U.S. without citizenship or authorization is complex. Some are asylum-seekers or green card applicants caught in a broken system that can take years to process. Others, fleeing violence or poverty, crossed the border without authorization. The first unlawful entry is generally a misdemeanor, punishable by fines or up to six months in jail. Reentry after deportation can be a felony.
Constitutional protections, however, are clear. Habeas Corpus ensures no one can be detained without the right to challenge it in court. Due Process, in the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, forbids government from depriving anyone of life, liberty, or property without fair legal procedures. The Rule of Law requires all officials to act within the law, not personal discretion. And Birthright Citizenship, in the Fourteenth Amendment, grants citizenship to anyone born in the U.S., reflecting the American Revolution’s insistence that those subject to U.S. laws must also enjoy its protections.
The reality of millions living in the U.S. without authorization is the product of decades of failure by both political parties to address porous borders and modernize the immigration system. Instead of pursuing comprehensive solutions, leaders have defaulted to scapegoating.
These protections are not theoretical; they are under threat. Donald Trump campaigned promising that immigration enforcement would focus on violent criminals. Instead, as president, he ended asylum protections, expanded U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement funding by 400% and has promised arbitrarily to deport 1 million people per year. He has escalated workplace raids and family detentions, targeting people with no criminal record – workers, parents, neighbors whose only violation is a civil immigration offense. He has also pressed to end birthright citizenship by executive action. About 70% of people in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention have no criminal conviction.
The impact is devastating. Families are separated, and U.S.-born children – full citizens – suffer trauma through no fault of their own. Communities and industries also suffer. Immigrant labor is vital to agriculture, hospitality, construction, and manufacturing. When millions live in fear of deportation, crops go unharvested and projects stall.
The irony is striking: those pursuing citizenship, who must master civics and constitutional rights, may understand the Constitution better than many native-born citizens. They know that Habeas Corpus, Due Process, and Birthright Citizenship are not privileges for the few but protections for all.
Constitution Week should remind us that America is strongest when it keeps its founding promises. If we expect immigrants to learn, respect, and live by these principles, we must uphold them ourselves and demand the same from our leaders. To apply constitutional protections selectively is hypocrisy. To ignore them is a betrayal of the very document we claim to honor.
