Staff Reports
In a move reminiscent of the good old days when facts still mattered, ICE officials under the Trump administration have decided to resurrect the term “alien” to describe illegal migrants, firmly rejecting the misguided attempt by the Biden administration to coddle offenders with fluffy labels like “newcomers.” Acting ICE director Caleb Vitello has rolled back the 2021 memo that tried to smooth over the harsh reality of illegal immigration with politically correct terminology.
Under Biden, the terminology switched from “alien” to “noncitizen” as if calling someone a different name would erase their legal status or lack thereof. Apparently, the idea was to make those who break our immigration laws feel a little less guilty about their actions, as if changing the vocabulary were some sort of magic wand that would fix the border crisis. Rep. Joaquin Castro and his pals, who clearly missed the memo on what it means to uphold the law, were among those who pushed to remove the term “alien” from federal discourse, showing just how far some Democrats are willing to go to protect illegal immigrants from hurt feelings.
You don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here👋🏼
It's gonna be immediate – Trump is in the process of deporting illegals after he takes office.
'We have to get a lot of people out. We have criminals at level, and no one can believe. Terrorists, murderers, people from insane… pic.twitter.com/w2ssZZv0f8
— Alaska (@Alaska0420) January 18, 2025
Now, with Vitello’s directive, ICE employees are free to refer to those who violate immigration laws as “aliens” in all their communications, both internal and external. It’s a refreshing change, signaling a return to the days when the government didn’t tiptoe around the obvious. It reflects an understanding that proper language helps define the issue at hand. After all, if you can’t name the problem, how can you fix it?
In stark contrast, the Biden administration has been busy promoting legislation that seems more like a hospitality brochure than a serious immigration policy. The White House’s draft aimed at increasing legal immigration levels and providing amnesty to most illegal aliens even goes as far as to remove the word “alien” entirely. Instead of addressing the reality of the situation, this approach blends legal immigrants, visa holders, and illegal entrants into one indistinguishable group, effectively erasing the distinction between those who follow the rules and those who do not.
The recent financial proposals from the Biden White House also reveal a cozy relationship with illegal immigration, offering $1.4 billion to states and cities to cater to “newcomers.” This bill enforces the administration’s “catch and release” border policies, which have become synonymous with a lackadaisical approach to law enforcement. With the concept of aliens being reduced to mere “people who are in the country,” it becomes evident that the current administration prefers to address the symptoms of a disorderly immigration system rather than address the root cause: a porous border and an unyielding reluctance to enforce existing laws.
While the Biden administration may want to sugarcoat immigration with friendly terminology, the fact remains that calling a spade a spade is the first step toward meaningful reform. With the Trump-era focus on clarity and legality, it seems the current administration could learn a thing or two about effective communication—starting with a return to the language that reflects reality.
