In 1796, an exhausted George Washington did a truly remarkable thing — he announced that he would not seek a third term as president, a term he could have easily won.

Washington enlisted Alexander Hamilton and James Madison to draft a farewell address which, among other things, focused on explaining to his countrymen the privileges and responsibilities of citizens, recognizing that in the country he hoped to build, there would be different pathways to citizenship.

“Citizens by birth or choice,” he said, “the name of American … belongs to you.”

Today, as the Trump administration rolls out its plan to make it harder to become a citizen and to change the meaning of citizenship, it is more important than ever to recall Washington’s vision.

More than two centuries ago, the so-called father of this country understood that in the U.S., we would — and should — have both citizens by birth and citizens by choice. This country, he knew, would be stronger if it were as welcoming a place........

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