President-elect Donald Trump has a lot of work to do when he gets back to Washington D.C., but it looks like one of his first actions could be border-related.
Specifically, the Trump team is looking at eliminating the politically correct language surrounding the immigration discussion. According to the Washington Examiner, the transition team on homeland security issues is already discussing lifting the ban on the term “illegal alien.”
“In this [present] administration, we used ‘undocumented immigrants,’ right?” said a former high-ranking immigration official who now is involved in advising the transition team on policy. “Expect all of that to change.”
A second official involved in advising transition officials confirmed that talks on returning to “illegal alien” were true.
“I don’t see anyone at [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement] or [U.S. Customs and Border Protection] using any euphemisms for illegal aliens after Jan. 20,” the second official said.
Retired ICE Field Office Director John Fabbricatore supported the idea, saying there is nothing wrong, racist, or inherently offensive about the term in the first place.
“What is wrong with illegal alien? It connotes no race, religion, or culture,” he said in a message. “It is a purely legal term that was hijacked in an Orwellian attempt to control the messaging about illegal immigration.”
Congressman Byron Donalds noted in an X post on March 13 that the “progression” of politically correct language has all but normalized people crossing America’s southern border illegally.
Progression of a liberal euphemism:
1) Illegal Alien
2) Illegal Immigrant
3) Undocumented Immigrant
4) Immigrant
5) Migrant
6) NewcomerNOTE: If a noncitizen enters the US unlawfully & without authorization, they’re by definition, an “ILLEGAL ALIEN.”
Stop with the semantics. pic.twitter.com/3Vmlq0vhEA
— Congressman Byron Donalds (@RepDonaldsPress) March 13, 2024
X users also support the move back to more legally correct language:
Makes sense to me, as that is the legal definition of their status.
— franklin loisanee (@Floisanee4) November 20, 2024
That’s what they are
Criminal Illegal aliens— Patriotinwaiting (@1patriotwaiting) November 20, 2024
Trump, calling it what it is…
— (@okc_larry) November 20, 2024
Illegal migrant would also be fine- or illegal immigrant.
— jon charles baker (@paulkeres155) November 20, 2024
Absolutely necessary!!
— Michelle (@Michell06936754) November 20, 2024
What progressives think is changing the language used of an illegal alien into any number of different names I’ve read does not change their status. Still illegal entry no matter what you call them.
— M R (@MR49531881) November 20, 2024
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