Alienage, or the state of being an alien, i.e. a non-citizen of the United States, is a unique category. For purposes of state law, legal aliens are a suspect class (Graham v. Richardson, 403 U.S. 365 (1971)).
Alienage, or being a non-citizen of the United States, is a distinct category. For state laws, lawful foreigners are considered a vulnerable group (Graham v. Richardson, 403 U.S. 365 (1971)).