There is an old debate in constitutional law about whether or not constitutional protections “follow the flag,” that is, if they apply only in the territorial United States, or any place the American flag flies (for example, the Philippines after the Spanish-American war). I don’t want to go into the specific legal framework of the debate. But I’ve always said that “American” does not refer to who was born here and who wasn’t, or who can navigate the bureaucratic labyrinth to get the proper visa or who can’t, or who’s rich or who’s poor, or who’s Black or who’s White or who’s Brown. Anyone who buys into the ideals of equal justice under law, who is willing to march so they can participate in a real democratic vote, who will risk life and limb to provide their families with a better life, who see this land as a beacon of opportunity and prosperity–and then come here and prove it–these people are Americans regardless of who they are or where they’re from. Status under the law notwithstanding, they’re already Americans in my eyes.