SEE IT: Puerto Ricans reject 51st state push as residents fear taxes could skyrocket

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2026 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Puerto Ricans that spoke to Fox News Digital in San Juan, Puerto Rico overwhelmingly were not in favor of the U.S. territory gaining statehood in America, citing economic concerns and colonialism. (Credit: Nicholas Ballasy for Fox News Digital) Several Puerto Ricans interviewed by Fox News Digital in San Juan, Puerto Rico voiced opposition to becoming America’s 51st state, arguing that it would send the economy into turmoil and strip the island of its cultural identity. "I don't think it should be a state," Carly, who grew up in Puerto Rico and now lives in Connecticut, told Fox News Digital. "I don't want them to do PR how they did with Hawaii. I don't want taxes to spike. People’s wages here are really low to maintain life here." Statehood for Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory since the United States acquired it from Spain in 1898, has long been debate