Debate on the Terminology – Illegal Vs. Undocumented Immigrant
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If immigration is a sensitive topic since it involves policies and people, how people are called in relation to immigration is a rather more sensitive topic. There is a rising debate on how immigrants who enter the United States illegally should be referred to. Is it illegal immigrants or undocumented immigrants? Here are some of the points being raised for both sides.
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The term immigrant is referred to a national from a foreign country that enters the United States for permanent residency and for work. There are certain immigration laws and policies that should be followed in order to gain legal entry in the US. When a foreign national deliberately violates any immigration law of the country, he is commonly referred to as an illegal immigrant or sometimes illegal alien. The term illegal represents the means this person entered the US. There is a clear defiance of immigration law which makes him a criminal as some would put it.
On the other side, many minority groups argue that foreign nationals should not be called illegal immigrants since this term is associated with criminal acts and, perhaps by virtue of cultural differences, these nationals do not regard the illegal entry as a crime. They insist that the correct and more proper term to call those foreign nationals are undocumented immigrants . The justification of these people is that undocumented is a more appropriate word for a foreign national who does not have legal documentation of his stay in the US. For humanitarian reasons, they feel this is a better name to be called without leaving any stigma on the person from the society.
These issues are endless since both sides are firm on their own beliefs. Many still say that illegal immigrants should first accept that they are breaking immigration laws and upon accepting this, they will understand that being called illegal immigrants is not a way of degrading their existence. Rather, it is a suitable name for people who do not respect the laws set by a country. Laws are enforced to promote orderliness and lay the guidelines for the society. Many organizations believe that this should be changed since being called illegal immigrants makes them feared by other people. They insist that although they illegally accessed the US, they stay upright while living in the country by working doubly hard to earn a modest living and should not be labeled like criminals just because of the way they established residence in the country. Undocumented immigrant is a far better term that they should be addressed.
So where does this argument end? If the term illegal immigrants are changed, is this a guarantee that people will follow the US immigration rules?
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