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ICE Restores Use of Statutory Terms in Immigration Enforcement

The federal government’s deportation agency has pulled a 180-degree turn on the ridiculous Biden-era policy that banned the use of terms like “illegal” and “alien” when talking about immigrants. In a stroke of common sense, Caleb Vitello, the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), informed employees of the change through a memo, declaring that they should now use the language that aligns with the Immigration and Nationality Act—an actual law, not just a trendy political talking point.

This recent memo nixes a bizarre 2021 diktat orchestrated by former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, which labeled terms such as “illegal,” “alien,” and even “assimilation” as offensive. Instead of accurately describing individuals who have broken U.S. immigration laws, employees were forced to parrot jargon like “undocumented,” “noncitizen,” and “migrant,” as if they were all at a sensitivity training seminar rather than enforcing the law. It’s almost as if the administration thought that euphemizing reality would make it magically disappear.

The absurdity of this word-worship was highlighted in multiple legal cases where ICE agents were told to refer to lawbreakers as “undocumented noncitizens.” In a system built on the rule of law, one can only shake their head at such convoluted nomenclature, which would make any lawyer cringe. Rather than focusing on actual enforcement, agencies like U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and Customs and Border Protection were berated into subscribing to this ludicrous lexicon. Even the Justice Department wasn’t immune to this wordplay pandemic.

Interestingly, enthusiasm for this new lingo seemed to evaporate as the Biden administration trudged towards its final months. According to reports, the initial fervor for compliance with this lexicon policy faded, as officers on the front lines increasingly reverted to straightforward terms that reflect reality. Andrew “Art” Arthur, a former immigration judge and ICE attorney, remarked on the failed experiment, describing it as “utterly unsuccessful” in changing the conversation about immigration. Frankly, it is hard to capture “success” when you create confusing terms like “undocumented citizens.” 

 

In the past, when law enforcement personnel were threatened with punishment for using the wrong language, it didn’t do much to foster a positive working environment. Such antics simply served as yet another tool to enforce compliance with additional rules that complicate their already challenging responsibilities. Instead of focusing on protecting the American public from illegal activities, these agencies were caught up in a linguistic limbo while serious security issues loomed at the border, something that Mayorkas and his buddies often downplayed. The emphasis on “politically correct” language over effective law enforcement makes one question the administration’s serious commitment to immigration and border security.

So, a breath of fresh air has returned to ICE communications, where employees can finally use words that accurately describe the legal situation at hand without fear of a reprimand. It’s a small step back to common sense, but one that certainly makes a big difference when the issue at hand is law enforcement at our borders.

Written by Staff Reports

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