National security policies in the post-9/11 world reveal a dangerous turn towards the politics of fear, especially in the wake of frequent attacks by ‘home-grown terrorists‘. Viewed from the prism of identity politics, particularly ethnonational pluralism, I take a three-pronged approach to examining the impact of national security policies on identity pluralism. I interrogate the nexus between identity management and the rule of law in Hong Kong, evaluating laws and policies to assess conditions for social stability in light of the ongoing struggle for a distinctive Hong Kong identity, the imposition of a pan-Chinese identity and the marginalization of non-ethnic Chinese identities. I conclude with recommendations for a more nuanced consideration of the identity-integration-security-rule of law matrix to facilitate respect for plural Hong Kong identities as part and parcel of advancing rule of law and to harness plurality as a strength in national security strategies.