https://www.usnews.com/news/national-ne ... n-citizensIt wasn't until 1940 that Congress enacted legislation conferring birthright, or "jus soli," (right of soil) citizenship on persons born in Puerto Rico. Whereas persons born in Puerto Rico prior to 1940 could only acquire a naturalized citizenship if their parents were U.S. citizens, anyone born in Puerto Rico after 1940 acquired a U.S. citizenship as a direct result of being born on Puerto Rican soil. This legislation both amended and replaced the Jones Act. The Nationality Act of 1940 established that Puerto Rico was a part of the United States for citizenship purposes. Since Jan. 13, 1941, birth in Puerto Rico amounts to birth in the United States for citizenship purposes.
Nevertheless, ICE is deporting Puerto Ricans:
https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/loc ... 058292007/
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/Trump-depo ... n-citizensTelemundo Puerto Rico reported a Puerto Rican mother, her 3-year-old son and mother-in-law were taken into custody by ICE while shopping at an unnamed store in Milwaukee on Jan. 24.
According to the TV station's report, ICE bused the family and several other Spanish-speakers from the store to an unidentified detention center. Telemundo aired a live audio interview with a relative, who was not named.
Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens.
Already, there have been a handful of documented examples of raids and confrontations at Puerto Rican businesses, despite Puerto Ricans having automatic U.S. citizenship.
The raids have startled Puerto Ricans, who are rushing to get passports out of fear that they could be targeted just for speaking Spanish or having brown skin.
In Newark on January 23, a dozen agents raided Ocean Seafood Depot during which they targeted, among others, the Puerto Rican warehouse manager, a U.S. military veteran who Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said “suffered the indignity of having the legitimacy of his military documentation questioned.”
The warehouse manager has declined media interviews given the crush of attention. But his treatment appalled those who know him.
“He’s been a worker here for a few years,” a coworker told The Bulwark, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of being targeted. “We were shocked this happened because he’s a U.S. citizen.”
