Does the Constitution apply to non-citizens? What about illegal immigrants? Convicted felons?

Answer 1

Many parts of it, yes. Different sections apply to different folks.

The 14th Amendment and Article IV apply to citizens.

The 1st, 4th, 5th and 8th Amendments apply to all people, because they are limitations on government action. Since the limitations apply to the government, they apply regardless of who the government is acting against.

Same with the 6th Amendment, which applies to anyone "accused" by the government. Again since the Amendment imposes requirements on the government, it applies wherever the government is acting and regardless of against whom it is acting.

There is most of a century of Supreme Court holdings to confirm that the plain text of the Constitution says. Anyone attempting to argue different has obviously not bothered reading the law.

Answer 2

The Constitution and Bill of Rights refers only to "the people", without specifying which people are referred to. An argument could be made that "the people" means "citizens." In some places, however, the text is written as a limit on what the government is allowed to do, rather than what the people have to right to; or the text says "no person shall be...", and it's more difficult to argue that "person" means only citizens in the context.

Overall, it's difficult to make a Constitutional case that the rights guranteed therein are only applicable to U.S. citizens.

Answer 3

I beleive that you have to be a citizen for the rights of the Constitution to be in place. A convicted felon has rights guaranteed by the Constitution.

Answer 4

zz- you don't know what you're speaking about. i'm American Indian and maximum persons American Indians do unlike being referred to as community individuals. have you ever heard of a tribe referred to as the Lakota community individuals or the Cheyenne community individuals. No that's continuously the Lakota Indians etc... so some distance as what those professional-illegals use as excuses, every person with difficulty-loose experience is acquainted with more desirable proper and may tell how lame they're. i replaced into chatting with My youthful new child and they were asking questions, We were speaking about their excuses or perhaps they realized what replaced into incorrect with the picture they strive against to paint. i'm no longer fooled with the help of something any this kind of illegals attempt to tug or their bogus excuses. they have already eroded our economy. those people although if presented an amnesty would not keep on with rules. Sorry they're too use to the criminal strategies. and that i surely trust what you're saying about being a criminal of their homestead international places. Why else might want to they pay 1000's of money to be smuggled the following and placed themselves and their little ones into the fingers of different criminals.

Answer 5

yes, it applies to everyone that is on american soil, convicted felons have some rights specfiicly taken away and this has been held as constitutional.

Answer 6

The Constitution exists to regulate GOVERNMENT, not citizens, or other people living within our borders.

Answer 7

When we are traveling aboard do we want to treated as citizens under their constitution or as visitors with no rights? the constitution protects all on US soil.

Answer 8

Convicted felons yes.The rest no, other than the way they are treated while they are here.

Answer 9

It only applies to american citizens.

Answer 10

Constitution is a set of rules........Yes it does.....even though you might not agree with me, it applies to everyone.........Except the Pope..................