Governor Jennifer González recently declared that statehood is a right the United States is obligated to grant Puerto Rico. But what she fails to acknowledge is this: statehood is not a right—it is a political decision reserved solely for the United States Congress. The people of Puerto Rico cannot vote themselves into the Union.

For decades, the island has held multiple non-binding referendums to give Puerto Ricans the illusion that their voice matters. But at the end of the day, Congress decides Puerto Rico’s fate—not the people living on the island.

Let’s be honest about the historical facts: Puerto Rico has been a U.S. territory for over 125 years, and for almost 20 of those years, its people had no U.S. citizenship status at all.

González’s ...