House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) (CSPAN)

(CNSNews.com) -- House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said that whether illegal aliens suppress the wages of U.S. workers is “not the point” and that using language like “illegal aliens” was not constructive.

At a press conference on Thursday, CNSNews.com asked Pelosi, “Yesterday you outlined your plan to get a better deal for American workers. Does permitting illegal aliens to enter the United States and work here suppress the wages of American workers?”

Pelosi said, “That’s not the point. Using terminology like ‘illegal aliens’ and ‘illegally entering the country’ is just not viewed as constructive. The fact is that we have, we must protect our borders, that is our responsibility.”

“We also must protect our values, that’s our responsibility as well,” she said. “And we do believe that there can be a bipartisan way for us to come together to honor the values of our country and recognize that newcomers to our country are frequently the constant reinvigoration of America.”

She continued, “Bringing their hopes, their dreams, their aspirations, their optimism, their courage, their determination, to make the future better for their families are American traits, and in doing so these newcomers make America more American.”

“Should we, we must protect our borders, yes,” said Pelosi, “but what we’re talking about here, though, are asylum seekers and that has nothing to do with legal entry into the country.”

Pelosi and House Democrats released a plan yesterday to provide a better deal for American workers. Their plan aims to address inequality by giving “workers freedom to join unions and negotiate collectively.”

In addition, the plan hopes to pave the way for Americans to “higher wages, better health care, safer working conditions and stronger retirement security.”