Non-Citizens Are Entitled To Certain Rights

May 16, 2025 Editor, The News-Gazette: In his letter published on May 14, 2025, Don Henke promotes a dangerous and xenophobic falsehood. He states, “Foreigners are not entitled to the privileges and immunities of citizens, so they are neither entitled to the rights, nor is the government entitled to supply services spelled out in the Constitution.” This claim is false on the basis of a long history of federal jurisprudence, beginning with the 1903 U.S. Supreme Court case, Yamataya v. Fisher. In that case, the Court ruled that non-citizens were entitled to a review of their rights prior to being deported, and that if they are living in the U.S. in a manner that accords with citizenship, then they may accrue Constitutional rights.