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?

Certainly seems to for a minority on here.

Maybe no human is illegal but plenty do illegal things, like entering a country illegally and then either fraudulently claiming benifits or working illegally or supporting themselves through criminal activities.

Because it is the correct term.

Look it up and educate yourself (with respect).

Good question give it a go. I'm curious too. You're right I think it might be, but we don't know for sure.

What term should they be using instead?

Ellis Island in New York was processing "aliens" in the 1880s. It is not an offensive term.

What are the words connotations to you?

I know it’s still used as a medical term and in a medical context, it’s fine. If someone said it in normal conversation whilst trying to imply that those people were less than them, that’s when it becomes an issue in the exact same vain that the word ‘’alien’’ is being used to refer to immigrants, that’s the point. It’s the context and the undertone.

It’s the use of the word. The context there to here is different when used in this area. We say it legal migrants, they say aliens. If I was to call someone a fanny in this country it would mean be a completely different slur in the US.

Did we have an Aliens Act to control foreign people during one of the World Wars?
Just a simple legal term.

"People use the term 'undocumented', but I prefer to say 'someone who doesn't have papers'."

But isn't this ratcheting of ever changing language due to internal purity spirals within certain political groups - designed to obfuscate? Both sides do this, the opposing side will then press their thumbs harder on the scales and use language that they deem more appropriate or clarifying based on their set of priors.

This seems mainly to be about signalling status to ones own group, rather than a sincere attempt to de-escalate tension and minimise the risk of violence

When I hear people using hyperliberal language I assume that they're open borders people anyway and therefore, in my opinion, not sensible.

This. It's well established usage. I have a greater exception to the term 'ex pat'.

It might mean freakish to you, but that's your own baggage.

It certainly doesn't mean "of a completely separate species" in this context. It means Not From Here. Anyone who can't see the difference is either willfully blinkered or hasn't been around the English language much. Words have varied meanings in different contexts.

Alienated, alien concept, illegal alien, space alien... Same root of not being from here, but not interchangeable.

Anyone who thinks of Martians when discussing immigration is off their trolley.

Unfortunately it's not for us to 'let'. They're calling lots of people lots of unacceptable names, so immigrants are just one target of their ire

Alien is being applied as a term in the legal and dictionary definition sense to people who are in the US but not from the US. 'Illegal alien' is a statement of fact for someone remaining there without a correct visa. Next you will be saying that the use of the term 'Asylum seeker' in the UK is derogatory.
It is the actions that MAY sometimes come alongside the use of these terms that can be a problem, but not the use of legal recognised terms when applied correctly.

True, plenty of people do illegal things, some of which involve being somewhere without the correct documentation. We don't talk about 'illegal Americans' though, when a citizen commits some heinous crime.

I guess it's the equivalent of telling your 6 year old: 'you're not a bad person but you did bad thing'.

It won’t be stopped, it’s a term they have always used on their immigration policies. I lived there in the 80s and I was aware of being an illegal alien. It’s nothing to get upset about.

It's the term they use in the US and it is fairly mainstream there. Although I agree with you it's not a very nice word to use at all.
Probably bigger issues for immigrants in the US at the moment though.

Alien is a legal term used in medieval england about those who came from outside a city.

This thread feels like an alien concept to me.

Maybe I feel that way because of the wider context of the whole MAGA movement making immigrants out to be subhuman criminals with low IQ’s, and the fact that the term isn’t widely used in the same way outside the US.

I just find it a horrible way to describe someone, and I continue to be repulsed every time it comes out of Vance or Caroline Leavett’s evil trap for the simple reason that they are vile humans.

👽

"Being somewhere without the correct documentation" give me a break, that implies they just misplaced their documents or something, really trying to downplay the fact that they actually entered the country ILLEGALLY there aren't you 😂
Yes but when americans comit crimes they are called criminals, kinda similar to illega no?l 🤔

”stop worrying about America unless you live there”

you’re seriously watching what is happening over there and thinking it’s nothing for you to worry about? With Farage and his followers openly wanting to bring the same over here?

I am not a history student but even I can see history repeating, and the world needs to be very worried about what is happening there.

What a lot of replies with no one remembering that the Bible - and commandments in particular - are very specific on how to treat your "resident alien"

To be honest that is your interpretation of the word, not the English dictionary definition.