That's not true.
the Consitution makes a distinction between 'person' and 'citizen', but is painfully ambiguous about 'People'. In context, 'people' most likely means 'citizens'.
Even if you mean 'persons', not 'people', it's still largely ambiguous.
> the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects
> other [right]s retained by the people.
> [powers] are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
'People' usually means 'voters':
> chosen every second Year by the People of the several States
> The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof,
> the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.
Government is made of 'citizens':
> No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have ... been seven Years a Citizen of the United States,
[etc for Senator, President]
and 'citizens' are covered by Federal Judiciary in interstate cases and interstate rights:
> judicial Power shall extend to all Cases ... between Citizens and ...
> The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States.
Amendment XIV (1868) clarifies the difference between a 'person' and 'citizen', to some [insufficient] extent.
> All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.
and makes the most interesting statement about the rights of a 'person'
> nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
The reality is that the Constituation does not explain what are the rights of non-citizen persons, wihile at the same time repeatedly stating that not all persons are citizens.
You can split hairs on the wording, and many judges have, but the truth is that the authors just didn't write carefully about visitors and non-citizen immigrants, since international travel was very difficult in the 18th and 19th Centuries so not a big deal (except for slavery, which was a whole different mess).
It depends on state/city law. In San Francisco, for example, non-citizens who have school-age kids can vote in local school board elections (as of last year).
https://www.senate.gov/civics/constitution_item/constitution...
'People' have rights:
> the right of the people peaceably to assemble
> the right of the people to keep and bear Arms,
> the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects
> other [right]s retained by the people.
> [powers] are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
'People' usually means 'voters':
> chosen every second Year by the People of the several States
> The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof,
> the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.
Government is made of 'citizens':
> No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have ... been seven Years a Citizen of the United States,
[etc for Senator, President]
and 'citizens' are covered by Federal Judiciary in interstate cases and interstate rights:
> judicial Power shall extend to all Cases ... between Citizens and ...
> The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States.
Amendment XIV (1868) clarifies the difference between a 'person' and 'citizen', to some [insufficient] extent.
> All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.
and makes the most interesting statement about the rights of a 'person'
> nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
The reality is that the Constituation does not explain what are the rights of non-citizen persons, wihile at the same time repeatedly stating that not all persons are citizens.
You can split hairs on the wording, and many judges have, but the truth is that the authors just didn't write carefully about visitors and non-citizen immigrants, since international travel was very difficult in the 18th and 19th Centuries so not a big deal (except for slavery, which was a whole different mess).