Why are we allowing the US to call illegal immigrants “illegal aliens”?

[KimGym]

I find this absolutely sickening!!!! It’s a disgraceful term to use and I feel as though if the US are going to use this disgusting terminology, it should at the very least, be censored in other countries. It is so disrespectful and dehumanising. It’s this sort of language that leads people (hopefully only those who have lacked a basic education) to deem immigrants to be sub human, and paves the way for public acceptance of them being treated in a sub human manner. AIBU to think this is totally abhorrant?

You probably aren't dim then 😀

Interesting that it covers non-immigrants, eg there on a tourist visa, diplomats, etc.

So if we are replacing the term alien with immigrant, US law is going to end up with a category of people called “non-immigrant immigrants” (who are not immigrants). Could get confusing.

It’s just another word for a foreigner. The fact that it’s not commonly used any more does not make it offensive.

Indeed; it's clear that the OP has no idea that the that the words 'immigrant' and 'alien' mean different things in the context of foreign nationals in their non-home country, or why the two words exist. Many (all?) countries around the world differentiate their citizens from foreign nationals, and most (all?) also differentiate between permanent and temporary non-nationals resident in their country. They further differentiate between the different visa types across the non-permanent non-nationals resident in their country. The word 'alien' is widely understood to encompass all non-nationals.

The words 'alien' and 'immigrant' do not mean the same thing at all, and it is perfectly possible to be a fully legal alien in a foreign country and never be be an immigrant!

The fact that it is used in association with hunting down and abusing or killing so called aliens does make it somewhat concerning.

Would it be acceptable, then, for Welsh or Scottish people to call English people living in those countries aliens?

They use this term with any non-American. 😉

My son emigrated there 15 years ago. He works, pays taxes and there legally.

But, he’s still British, so he’s an alien.

Yes as long as the English are allowed to call the Scots and the Welsh aliens 🤣

I think a lot of posters on here believe that "English" is somehow policed in the same way French is. With an official body, and pronouncements that have the force of law. Presumably they don't regret the time they wasted at school or indeed are wasting here.

"The final arbiter or language is usage" as the OED regularly reminds people interested in English. They do not say "The final arbiter of language is acceptance".

With that drubbing out of the way, on one hand the concept of an English "native" (and I leave you to define that before returning to the discussion) could be regarded as an "alien" in Wales*. But as always a lot would depend on that pesky context that some folk struggle with. Before we can know if it is "acceptable" we would also need to know "to whom ?".

As we’re being surreal, if life on earth really derived from the dust particles arising from the ‘Big Bang’, then we are all ‘Aliens’, as in from Space.

So, far from it being used to only denote a non citizen, absolutely everyone (and all life forms on earth) are aliens.

All space dust/microbe blow ins.

We are made of stardust.

My Dad was a refugee and came to this country in the 1950's. His paperwork from that time has 'alien' mentioned all over - it's just terminology. We aren't offended by it.
Come to think of it - my Mum's is the same, she joined Dad later.

There is such a difference between opinion and fact. Legal language often uses archaic terms which out of context sound offensive. Just wait until you hear some medical terms! That will really shatter your sensitivities! Everybody knows the context of the term alien - and doesn’t include arriving in spaceships.

No because all are British.

Why has it suddenly become offensive? I've not heard that it's offensive before reading this thread.

I've recently bought a property in Europe and to get permission from the local authority I had to complete a form called "Alien Acquisition of Property", ie, I'm a foreigner!

When I lived in the US I was a registered alien (I had a green card). It’s just term used. Doesn’t mean anything and no one is offended. I’m white.

Yeah, you have a good point there, after all immigrants are part of the human race and to refer to immigrants as aliens is dehumanizing, derogatory, racist and pretty shameful.

There is such a difference between opinion and fact.

Which is why it's essential that people ensure their opinions are never exposed to facts.

So ?

Are you saying a Welsh -person is not Welsh ?

On some level we are all immigrants. There is no way we were born in the same tiny geographic accident that our 20,000th grandparents were.

Because they ARE ILLEGAL and they ARE ALIEN TO THE US.

I think using this term is the very least of the concerns around how the US treat immigrants

"Alien" comes from the Latin "alienus", which has multiple meanings including foreign, and other. The Latin phrase "inter alia" means "among others".

In UK English, we tend not to use it to mean "foreign", in US English, it's commonly used to mean "foreign". It's not derogatory in US English.

Personally I find "illegal immigrants" pretty offensive too.

I don't think it's great to call anyone "illegal" - especially when most of the people who this term is applied to are recognised to actually be refugees, asylum seekers, or simply human beings who were born elsewhere and through no fault of their own have been forced to move (eg to escape the effects of climate chaos, grinding poverty, drug cartel violence, extreme femicide, exploitation etc).

Why can't we just call them "migrants"?
(adding a phrase like "sans papiers" or "without papers"/ "undocumented" if there is a need to make a distinction between them and other migrants)

Because some classes of immigrants have been fully vetted and given permission to live and work in America.

And others have not. This is a useful distinction.

Fleeing from crime, poverty, gang violence, exploitation, climate change is NOT and has NEVER been a basis for a successful asylum case in America. I think if you are a feminist activist though and the government targets you, then you have a case.

The bar is very high because so many places on earth are incredibly dysfunctional and you cannot expect the West to accommodate them.