Territories govern themselves, but have US residency, as well. They are run like a separate country.
You express yourself so unclearly that I don't quite understand your statement - but I suspect that you are wrong.
Your statement that "only 'states' get Constitutional protection that 'states' get" is, of course, a tautology, and hence pretty useless.
Territories do, of course, exercise a limited form of self-government - it is thus ridiculous to assert that they are "run like a separate country."
I don't understand what you mean by "territories [having] US residency." A territory cannot "have" residency.
Regards,