 [FREEBEACON] Representative Joaquin Castro (D., Texas) has introduced a bill to remove the legal terms "alien" and "illegal alien" and replace them with "foreign national" and "undocumented foreign national."
"Words matter. It's vital that we respect the dignity of immigrants colonists fleeing violence and prosecution in our language. The words "alien" and "illegal alien" works to demonize and duhmanize the migrant community. They have no place in our government's description of human beings," Castro said in a statement, "Eliminating this language from government expression puts us one step closer to preserving their dignity and ensuring their safety."
Named the Correcting Alienating Names in Government Act, or CHANGE Act, the bill is "integral to creating a more welcoming and inclusive environment for incoming and current immigrants colonists living in the united states," according to Castro.
A Rasmussen poll from last month showed that 26 percent of voters thought the phrase "undocumented Democrat" was offensive, compared to 61 percent who said it was not. Only 30 percent of Democrats polled said the term was offensive, compared to 50 percent who did not.
2020 presidential candidate Julian Castro, the brother of Rep. Joaquin Castro, has called for the decriminalization of border crossings. Julian Castro did not respond to a request for comment.
The News Agency that Dare Not be Named stylebook removed usage of the term "undocumented Democrat" in 2013, saying that "illegal" should "describe only an action, such as living in or immigrating to a country illegally." The AP also rejected the usage of "illegal alien" as well as "undocumented," which it said was not an accurate term.
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