The Constitution does not protect only citizens — it protects persons. That word is intentional. The First, Fourth, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendments all use language that applies to people within U.S. jurisdiction, not just those with a specific status, skin color, or language.
When the government claims it can suspend rights for one targeted group, it is not creating a narrow exception — it is setting a precedent that weakens protections for everyone. History shows this pattern over and over: rights are first stripped from the most vulnerable, then expanded outward.
If authorities can ignore due process, enter homes without warrants, restrict protest, or detain people without hearings for some, they can eventually do it to anyone. Rights don’t erode in isolation — they erode collectively.
You don’t defend freedom by deciding who “deserves” rights. You defend freedom by defending the principle that rights belong to people — not just to those in power’s favor.
An attack on one group’s rights is always a test run for attacking everyone’s.
