Why the AP Shouldn’t Have Done Away with “Illegal Immigrant”

The Associated Press made a decision at the start of this month to stop using the phrase “illegal immigrant” in articles. Also gone will be “illegal alien,” “an illegal,” “illegals,” and “undocumented” except in direct quotations. Apparently the AP now considers these phrases offensive to immigrants who have come to this country unlawfully. No exact change was put in place but according to the AP’s blog, one of the acceptable variations appears to be, “living in or entering a country without legal permission.”
 

This decision by the AP to dump the phrase “illegal immigrant” and related phrases is part of a broader push by liberals over the last year or so to remove the phrase from all speech nationwide. For example, this university started the “Inclusive Language Campaign” in the fall in an attempt to get students to realize “the words [they] use may have an impact on others.” One of the phrases the campaign is trying to eliminate is, “Those illegal aliens.” Instead, the campaign advocates for the use of “undocumented immigrant” or, by far the most sickening option, “undocumented citizen.”

             

The decision by the AP and the advocacy of the Inclusive Language Campaign here on campus couldn’t be any more misguided. The word “illegal” means “unlawful” and, according to dictionary.com, “alien” in this context means “a resident born in or belonging to another country who has not acquired citizenship by naturalization (distinguished from citizen).” Therefore, using the phrases “illegal immigrant” and “illegal alien” to describe someone who is in the United States, or any country for that matter, unlawfully is a completely truthful and accurate description. No one is using these phrases to be offensive. People who feel offended by them are looking to be offended.

             

Illegal aliens are certainly not “undocumented citizens” of the U.S., either. The word “citizen” is used to describe someone who is not only in this country legally but who has also sworn and owes allegiance to the United States and the Constitution. Illegal aliens are not citizens. They couldn’t be any further from it.

             

Another problem the AP has with banning all these phrases is that they have nothing short and concise to replace them. AP Style has always preached that short and concise is the best way to describe something. By getting rid of these phrases, the AP is replacing one and two word phrases with a phrase that is nine words in length. Telling journalists they no longer have to be concise when talking about illegal aliens is a direct contradiction of everything journalists have been taught for years.