Biden bans use of the term ‘illegal alien’ by federal immigration agencies

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Federal agencies tasked with enforcing border and immigration laws have ordered employees to stop using the terms “illegal alien,” “alien,” and “assimilation” when referring to immigrants. The change represents an attempt by the Biden administration to get rid of decades-old legal terms that were used by Republican and Democratic administrations but are seen by liberals as offensive.

Officials atop Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, both agencies at the Department of Homeland Security, announced in memos Monday that personnel should start using “noncitizen” or “migrant” for “alien,” “undocumented” for “illegal,” and “integration” for “assimilation,” the Washington Examiner confirmed Monday afternoon.

“As the nation’s premier law enforcement agency, we set a tone and example for our country and partners across the world,” acting CBP Commissioner Troy Miller wrote in a memo. “We enforce our nation’s laws while also maintaining the dignity of every individual with whom we interact. The words we use matter and will serve to further confer that dignity to those in our custody.”

Acting ICE Director Tae Johnson similarly vowed to “ensure agency communications use the preferred terminology and inclusive language.”

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CBP and ICE both use the term “illegal alien” in news releases and on social media when talking about incidents at the border or inside the United States. Officers with CBP’s Office of Field Operations work at the land ports of entry, while its Border Patrol agents apprehend people who illegally come across the border between those ports.

ICE Terminology Letter

In January, Rep. Joaquin Castro, a Texas Democrat, reintroduced the Correcting Hurtful and Alienating Names in Government Expression Act to prohibit the federal government from using “alien” when referencing a person who is not a U.S. citizen or immigrant because it is “derogatory.” The term would be replaced with “foreign national,” and in the case of someone who is not legally residing in the U.S. or has recently crossed the border without permission, he or she would be referred to as an “undocumented foreign national.”

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Castro’s bill is similar to Biden’s proposed U.S. Citizenship Act, which calls for “alien” to be changed to “noncitizen.”

Paul Bedard contributed to this report.

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