Trump Plans Return to ‘Illegal Alien’ Immigration Term

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President-elect Trump plans to reinstate the term “illegal alien” in official government communications, abandoning the Biden administration’s preferred “undocumented noncitizen,” according to the Washington Examiner.

A former immigration official advising Trump’s transition team told the publication, “In this [present] administration, we used ‘undocumented immigrants,’ right? Expect all of that to change.”

Texas Governor @GregAbbott_TX SLAMS @KatieHobbs over Hobbs’ dangerous new scheme to block President Trump from deporting criminal illegal aliens, including violent felons, drug dealers, and even suspected terrorists.

“They are going to see more crimes in their cities!”

WATCH: pic.twitter.com/0mPwxnrLu7

— Dan Coulson (@DanCoulsonAZ) November 21, 2024

The shift would reverse a 2021 directive implemented by Troy Miller, the senior Customer and Border Protection official, who stated, “We enforce our nation’s laws while also maintaining the dignity of every individual with whom we interact. The words we use matter and will serve to further confer that dignity to those in our custody.”

The Biden administration had previously eliminated terms like “assimilation,” replacing them with “integration” to promote more compassionate government documentation.

Another official confirmed the upcoming terminology change, stating, “I don’t see anyone at [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement] or [U.S. Customs and Border Protection] using any euphemisms for illegal aliens after Jan. 20.”

In 2021, Democratic Representative Joaquin Castro of Texas introduced legislation called the CHANGE Act, seeking to eliminate terms like “alien” from federal communications, though the bill remains stalled in Congress.

“With President Trump leading the way, our Republican trifecta is ready to hit the ground running on day one to secure our borders and ensure criminal illegal aliens are removed from our communities.” – @GOPMajorityWhip pic.twitter.com/XBu21mCEAK

— House Republicans (@HouseGOP) November 20, 2024

Potential Trump ICE director candidate John Fabbricatore endorsed the proposed change, messaging the outlet: “What is wrong with illegal alien? It connotes no race, religion, or culture. It is a purely legal term that was hijacked in an Orwellian attempt to control the messaging about illegal immigration.”