Puerto Ricans born on the island are U.S. citizens by statute, not by the Constitution — and that distinction is extremely important.

🇺🇸 1. How Puerto Ricans Got U.S. Citizenship

Puerto Ricans became U.S. citizens through the Jones-Shafroth Act of 1917, a congressional statute — not a constitutional amendment or birthright clause like the 14th Amendment.

⚖️ 2. Is Puerto Rican Citizenship Protected Under the U.S. Constitution?

No, not fully.

• The 14th Amendment, which grants citizenship to those "born or naturalized in the U.S. and subject to its jurisdiction," has not been definitively ruled to apply to Puerto Rico by the U.S. Supreme Court.
• That means  ...