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Home Page > News > Is it correct to use the term “illegal immigrant” rather than undocumented? – POLL

Is it correct to use the term “illegal immigrant” rather than undocumented? – POLL

Activist groups petition to stop the use of “racially charged” and “dehumanizing” phrase

CATHY HAYES,

IrishCentral Staff Writer

Published Tuesday, October 23, 2012, 7:49 AM

Updated Tuesday, October 23, 2012, 9:56 AM

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Members of the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform campaigning in Washington DC

Photo by ILIR

IrishCentral.com Poll

Speaking to Gawker, journalist Jose Antonio Vargas, himself an illegal immigrant, said he would prefer the use of terms such as “undocumented immigrant” or “unauthorized immigrant”.

The “Drop the I-Word” campaign states that they are “to eradicate the dehumanizing slur "illegals" from everyday use and public discourse. The i-word opens the door to racial profiling and violence and prevents truthful, respectful debate on immigration. No human being is "illegal."”

Where do you come down in this argument? Take part in our poll and let us know.

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robinked | Oct 24, 2012, 02:58 PM EDT

Lets think back to Who started this Fight....would it be:(drum roll please) jose antonio, i'm an ILLEGAL vargas, Why Yes & why Did mr vargas Start this Fight, well cuz He wants a Pass on his ILLEGAL entry & wants to Drag a whole Bunch of other ILLEGALs into this amnesty...!!!--cuz this 1st step Involves ReEducation of the Taxpaying, LawAbiding American Citizen, a Political Correctness run Amuck, cuz After HE can get Us, the Citizen to 'Think Correctly' about this Issue, then Amnesty (For 12 Million) is a shew-in...AND the Death-Knell for this Country AND Our 2 Party system...lets Be Real, the demoncrappers will have a Monopoly, A Dictatorship..............

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gobdawpaddy | Oct 24, 2012, 09:17 AM EDT

Of course the term 'illegal immigrant' is correct, they are in the United States illegally, no ifs, ands or buts. There are currently 23 million americans with no job, why should we permit people to live here illegally, or sugar coat how they are described, while our own are suffering?

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faberm1 | Oct 24, 2012, 08:02 AM EDT

They are illegal aliens. A country without borders is no longer a country. I am an American. If I go to Ireland or ANY other country in the world and try to demand social benefits, buy real estate, work freely without a work visa, open a bank account, or vote, I will deported. The United States of America is a sovereign country. The masses of the earth do not have a divine right to come here when their own societies fail to solve their own economic and social problems. This is 2012. The USA can no longer afford to be the world's dumping ground.

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Seanmor | Oct 23, 2012, 06:03 PM EDT

Whether the immigrants in question be called undocumented or illegal, all of them should NOT be lumped together in one category. Almost all immigrants from Ireland LEGALLY entered the U.S. (and very few of them seek government assistance) but many overstayed the expiration of their visas - and they all speak good English. Therefore these productive immigrants are far more likely to make valuable contributions to the U.S. than are those who came here ILLEGALLY fromn south of the border, speak little or no English and in many cases are in need of social benefits, including free health care. Let's stop mixing apples and oranges which are easily disdinguishable.

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WoundedKnee | Oct 23, 2012, 12:47 PM EDT

I like the traditional term "illegal aliens". "Aliens" suggests they don't belong here, they're outsiders. Which they are.

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BajaRat | Oct 23, 2012, 11:43 AM EDT

As clueless as they come is Portia777. Nobody said that human beings are illegal, but their acts and presence can be and are with respect to all of there border-jumping and visa-overstaying parasites.

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BajaRat | Oct 23, 2012, 10:25 AM EDT

Words matter. The miscreants who are the subject of this lousy article are not "immigrants." They are criminals. These parasites are called illegal aliens because they are aliens [i.e. foreign nationals] who are in the U.S. illegally [as in violation of federal criminal law]. They aren't "immigrants," and they are hardly "undocumented." They have plenty of documents..... all stolen or forged. I say build a wall and deport 'em all.

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Portia777 | Oct 23, 2012, 10:23 AM EDT

No human being is "illegal. That is all there is to it. We are all born of woman on this Mother Earth. She provides for all of us, giving freely. She never set up barriers called countries to divide the spoils of past wars, did she? No one has a receipt to say She sold herself to any one human here, entitling him/her to claim ownership of her lands or people.Most people have simply accepted the "penned in country " mind set, thus allowing a few people to control the rest and declare them illegal, aliens etc. In court in Ireland Americans, Europeans and Japs were all deemed aliens by a judge a few years ago as he ordered them out of HIS court.I would love his public response today.

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ellenfromcork | Oct 23, 2012, 10:22 AM EDT

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

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