united-states us-constitution federalism
Could Puerto Rico become part of a US state?
<p>Could Puerto Rico become part of a US state?  I realise it has long been proposed as a 51st state, but that seems unlikely. So how about this alternative?</p>

<p>Yes. </p>

<p>This would require the consent of Congress and the accepting U.S. state, but Puerto Rico's consent would not be constitutionally required (although it would be prudent to obtain and probably would be obtained as a matter of custom and fairness).</p>

<p>New York States has floated the possibility of annexing Puerto Rico since it is the single most concentrated destination of Puerto Rican migration to the mainland historically and has a large and politically well organized Puerto Rican community and would favor the expansion of Democratic political party power that this annexation would entail.</p>

<p>Contiguity is less of a concern for Puerto Rico since it is an island in any case.</p>

<p>Florida would be another natural candidate, but its conservative/purple political makeup would probably oppose such an annexation even though geographically it would be a more natural annexing state.</p>

<p>In a similar vein, there have been proposals to annex all of the District of Columbia except the federal mall to Maryland subject to the same formal requirements.</p>

<p>Either annexation would be a compromise. It would give these territories full statehood status and full representation in the U.S. House but would deny Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, respective, their own two seats in the U.S. Senate which would favor Democrats more than mere annexation would.</p>

<p>Pursuant to the <a href="http://www.heritage.org/constitution/#!/articles/4/essays/125/new-states-clause" rel="nofollow noreferrer">New States Clause</a> of the Constitution (Art IV, Sec 3, Cl 1),</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union; but no new
  States shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction of any other
  State; nor any State be formed by the Junction of two or more States,
  or Parts of States, without the Consent of the Legislatures of the
  States concerned as well as of the Congress.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>There are two precedents: Nevada (1866 and 1867) and Missouri, states which expanded their territory by absorbing part of an adjacent territory. The expansion of Nevada was <a href="https://www.loc.gov/law/help/statutes-at-large/39th-congress/session-1/c39s1ch73.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">enacted by Congress</a> on 5 May 1866, coming in two parts. A large strip of Utah Territory was added</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>as  provided  for  and  consented  to  in  the  constitution  of  the 
  State  of  Nevada,  all  that  territory  and tract  of  land 
  adjoining  the  present  eastern  boundary  of  the  State  of 
  Nevada,  and  lying  between  the  thirty-seventh  and  the 
  forty-second  degrees of  north  latitude  and  west  of  the 
  thirty-seventh  degree  of  longitude  west of  Washington,  is 
  hereby  added  to  and  made  a  part  of  the  State  of  Ne vada.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The southern chunk that is now Clark county was added after it was approved by the Nevada legislature. This thing is, it still requires congressional approval.</p>
