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What is the best term to describe a person who unlawfully enters the US?

What is the best term to describe a person who unlawfully enters the US?

  • illegal alien

    Votes: 23 38.3%

  • illegal immigrant

    Votes: 18 30.0%

  • undocumented immigrant

    Votes: 6 10.0%

  • unauthorized immigrant

    Votes: 2 3.3%

  • illegal invader

    Votes: 5 8.3%

  • other (please state)

    Votes: 6 10.0%
  • Total voters
    60
Emotional outbursts aside, or a contest to decide the nastiest way to describe a human, I can't tell which, there is no single term which describes every single person who crosses the border illegally. The label has to reflect the reason they made that crossing, whether they are illegal aliens, drug smugglers, refugees, etc. While they have all certainly have violated the law by crossing the border in the first place, the term "illegal" by itself doesn't sit well with me. For one it personally brings to mind other single words used to simply dismiss and degrade people, as in to create an "other" who aren't treated with human respect, and in my opinion generally come from people who I suspect are passionate against illegal immigration not from an economic standpoint but from a cultural one. Secondly its entirely too general to have any meaning or use what-so-ever because if one of us were to actually think of a solution to this issue any practical one would have to acknowledge the different reasons people cross to begin with, the term doesn't do that. And lastly because the term "illegal" could be used to describe many American citizens, since to earn the title all the illegal aliens/immigrants/whatever you call them, had to do was do something illegal, well we know many Americans are guilty of that as well. I'm not suggesting the two are the same, in fact that would go against every point in my argument, just pointing out how too general/vague the term "illegal" by itself is.
 
Wiseone said:
Emotional outbursts aside, or a contest to decide the nastiest way to describe a human, I can't tell which, there is no single term which describes every single person who crosses the border illegally. The label has to reflect the reason they made that crossing, whether they are illegal aliens, drug smugglers, refugees, etc. While they have all certainly have violated the law by crossing the border in the first place, the term "illegal" by itself doesn't sit well with me. For one it personally brings to mind other single words used to simply dismiss and degrade people, as in to create an "other" who aren't treated with human respect, and in my opinion generally come from people who I suspect are passionate against illegal immigration not from an economic standpoint but from a cultural one. Secondly its entirely too general to have any meaning or use what-so-ever because if one of us were to actually think of a solution to this issue any practical one would have to acknowledge the different reasons people cross to begin with, the term doesn't do that. And lastly because the term "illegal" could be used to describe many American citizens, since to earn the title all the illegal aliens/immigrants/whatever you call them, had to do was do something illegal, well we know many Americans are guilty of that as well. I'm not suggesting the two are the same, in fact that would go against every point in my argument, just pointing out how too general/vague the term "illegal" by itself is.
Click to expand...

Which is why "illegal alien" is the best term/phrase. Because they are all aliens, since they are all legally citizens of another country, and they have all either entered or stayed in this country against our immigration laws or illegally.
 
Someone who enters the United States as a noob is an immigrant. Someone who enters the United States does so illegally. Thus, the term "illegal immigrant."

What's the problem with legally correct terminology?
 
justabubba said:
persons seeking the American dream



we even have a statue with an inscription which reads:

what makes my proposed expression incorrect?
Click to expand...

There's no proof they are all seeking the American dream

Plus the giant statue says 'golden door' no jumping over the back fence.
 
nota bene said:
Someone who enters the United States as a noob is an immigrant. Someone who enters the United States does so illegally. Thus, the term "illegal immigrant."

What's the problem with legally correct terminology?
Click to expand...

OK this seriously made me LOL :mrgreen:
 
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