Words Matter: ICE To Stop Using Dehumanizing Terms Like ‘Illegal Alien’.
ICE to discontinue using terms that marginalize people who are in this country. (ABC News)
“U.S. immigration enforcement agencies will no longer use the term “illegal alien” in official communications to refer to immigrants in the country, according to two federal government memos distributed on Monday and obtained by ABC News.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement as well as Customs and Border Protection will discontinue the use of words “alien,” “illegal alien,” and “assimilation” from internal policy documents and communications with the public.”
Words do matter and it’s important to humanize our immigration policies to foster a sense of community that will lead to better enforcement outcomes. Zero tolerance and dehumanizing language engender anger and hatred among various immigrant communities from coast to coast. America is a nation of immigrants and its imperative to welcome people from around the world who seek a better life for themselves and their children. We must live up to the self- proclaimed “Shining City on A Hill”, using dehumanizing terms falls far short but this policy change is great step in the right direction.
