14th amendment
Let's look at the actual text of section 1, shall we?
Section 1. 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. 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.
When I look at this, the term citizen is quite specifically used where it is necessary; the equal protection clause states person
That distinction is important; had it meant citizens only in the equal protection clause, the text could easily have stated "citizen", but it does not; it states "person".
Having had a constitutional lawyer for a girlfriend many years ago, I was immersed in this stuff for years.
Interesting side note: The bill of rights (otherwise known as the first ten amendments to the Constitution of the United States) was held to apply to the states by application of the Due process clause of the 14th amendment.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
