There’s been a lot of talk recently about who is entitled to the right to due process under the U.S. Constitution.

There can be only one answer to this question: Everyone.

First and foremost, this comes from a plain reading of the 14th Amendment, which is clear that no state can “deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws” — and any attempt to say that the federal government is exempt from this provision would have some disturbing implications indeed.

But there is also a practical reason why every American should hold fast to the principle that due process rights are for everyone. If there is any group of people to whom the guarantee of due process does not apply, then all the government needs to do to strip you of your rights is to claim that you are a member of that group — and without due process, you would have no way to prove otherwise.

The principle that all people deserve due process and equal protection under the law is one of our most fundamental American values. And trying to carve out exceptions to that principle is a betrayal of American ideals.