“Illegal immigrant” implies that the immigrant is illegal in the same way that drugs are illegal, and it creates a misleading framework to talk about immigration. Yes, there are millions of immigrants who entered the country illegally — though there are millions more who entered the country legally, but overstayed their visas.

Illegal immigrant — and its infamous companion, illegal alien — are negative in nature and intent. Using them stigmatizes the subject and prevents us, all of us, from seeing the man or woman behind the label. It is pejorative and purposely demeaning because it criminalizes the person, not the act. To normalize its use is to give people license to offend.

Fernanda Santos, Phoenix Bureau Chief

[Stylebook says: illegal immigrant may be used to describe someone who enters, lives in or works in the United States without proper legal authorization. But be aware that in the debate over immigration, some people view it as loaded or offensive. Without taking sides or resorting to euphemism, consider alternatives when appropriate to explain the specific circumstances of the person in question, or to focus on actions: who crossed the border illegally; who overstayed a visa; who is not authorized to work in this country... Illegal immigration, because it describes the issue rather than an individual, is less likely than illegal immigrant to be seen as troubling...Do not use illegal as a noun, and avoid the sinister-sounding alien.]

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