These provisions are universal in their application to all persons within the territorial jurisdiction, without regard to any differences of race, of color, or of nationality, and the equal protection of the laws is a pledge of the protection of equal laws.
The Equal Protection Clause requires the government to have a valid reason for any law or official action that treats similarly-situated people or groups of people differently.
No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; 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 Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment , imposes a restraint on the governmental use of suspect classification. There are four generally agreed-upon suspect classifications: race, religion, national origin, and alienage. However, this is not an exhaustive list.
What Is Not Considered a Protected Class? Groups not explicitly outlined in federal anti-discrimination laws do not fall under protected classes. For example, discrimination based on political affiliation, physical appearance, or income level is generally not protected under federal law.
Nonetheless, the Equal Protection Clause (as well as the Due Process Clause) makes no distinction in its text between the protections it affords citizens and non-citizens.
Under the equal protection clauses of the United States and Georgia Constitutions, the government is required to treat similarly situated individuals in a similar manner. The doctrine of equal protection is triggered only if similarly situated parties are treated differently.
—The Fourteenth Amendment, by its terms, limits discrimination only by governmental entities, not by private parties.
Scope of Title IX
A recipient institution that receives Department funds must operate its education program or activity in a nondiscriminatory manner free of discrimination based on sex, including sexual orientation and gender identity.
It does not protect people who are single, divorced, widowed or have dissolved their civil partnerships. The Equality Act says you must not be discriminated against in employment because you are married or in a civil partnership.
The Clause provides that states must not “deny to any person ... the equal protection of the laws.” (Equal protection principles apply to the federal government through the Fifth Amendment's Due Process Clause.) At times, a government restriction may draw a distinction among people.
One important value in American society is that everyone has equal justice under the law. Another important idea is the “rule of law.” The rule of law means that everyone must obey the law and no one is above the law. This means that the government and its leaders must also obey the law.
This clause serves as a fundamental principle ensuring that individuals are treated equally under the law, influencing various legal standards and societal norms regarding discrimination based on race, gender, and other characteristics.
No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; 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.
Supreme Court Bans Affirmative Action: California's Private Universities Must Stop Using Race in Admissions. In landmark ruling, Supreme Court throws out decades of precedent on race-based college admissions. BY JONATHAN VANKIN PUBLISHED JUL 1, 2023 11:01 A.M.
The First Amendment right to free speech generally protects private speech from governmental restrictions. It doesn't protect against speech restrictions imposed by private entities. Social media sites are generally owned and operated by private companies. As a result, they're not bound by the First Amendment.
—“It has long been settled . . . that the term 'person' [in the Equal Protection Clause] encompasses lawfully admitted resident aliens as well as citizens of the United States and entitles both citizens and aliens to the equal protection of the laws of the State in which they reside.” 1854 Thus, one of the earliest ...
In light of the history of the Equal Protection Clause, it is no surprise that race and national origin are suspect classifications. But the Court has also held that gender, immigration status, and wedlock status at birth qualify as suspect classifications.
Final answer: Courts use strict scrutiny, intermediate scrutiny, and rational basis scrutiny to determine if a law violates the equal protection clause. Strict scrutiny is for race or religion, intermediate for gender, and rational basis for most other discrimination types.
U.S. Constitution
The Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause requires states to practice equal protection. Equal protection forces a state to govern impartially—not draw distinctions between individuals solely on differences that are irrelevant to a legitimate governmental objective.
Regardless of your immigration status, you have guaranteed rights under the Constitution. Learn more here about your rights as an immigrant, and how to express them.
An alien legally in the U.S. is not prohibited from purchasing firearms unless the alien is admitted into the U.S. under a nonimmigrant visa and does not meet one of the exceptions as provided in 18 U.S.C. 922(y)(2), such as possession of a valid hunting license or permit.