I know you can say not in your mind, but they are American citizens. And they recently voted to become a state, in a convoluted fashion. Now it is up to the US Congress.
NO, actually, the ‘decision’ is left up to a vote in Congress AND a vote of legal persons in Puerto Rico as to whether they want statehood.
These last few decades’ sticking points with these elections has been by the ‘residents’ has been in their desire to NOT PAY PERSONAL FEDERAL INCOME TAXES.
Dudes, you (PRs) and sympathizers can’t have it both ways.