Immigrants, Undocumented

Undocumented immigration refers to the indefinite residence of persons in the United States without U.S. authorization. Individuals who reside in the United States without proper authorization are known as undocumented immigrants, unauthorized immigrants, illegal immigrants, or illegal aliens. While these terms are perceived as synonymous, there is significant debate over which term is most appropriate. In particular, many groups have pressed for use of the terms unauthorized or undocumented in the mainstream press, arguing that “illegal” and “alien” are unnecessarily pejorative terms.

Frequently, the division over terminology parallels divisions between advocates for and adversaries of unauthorized immigrants. “Illegal” is understood by advocates as a pejorative term that links entry into the United States with criminal behaviors, and that wrongly targets certain racial and ethnic groups. Adversaries, however, often express a preference for the term, noting that this is the proper legal terminology for persons who are unlawfully present in the United States. In recent years, while “unauthorized” or “undocumented” have become commonplace, “illegal” continues to see mainstream usage. As recently as 2012, many large media outlets such as the New York Times have weighed in on the merits of using the word illegal in reference to immigration. While the New York Times and others have acknowledged the merits of both arguments and rejected the use of the terms alien and illegal, neutral usage of the term illegal immigrant is accepted practice.

A lack of consensus over the proper terminology for this class of immigrants is in part because unauthorized entry is a relatively new political concept. The concept of illegal or undocumented immigration did not emerge until the 20th century, with changes to immigration policy and law. Moreover, while unauthorized entry or residence is unlawful, it is not necessarily a criminal offense (removal hearings and detention proceedings, for example, are not criminal proceedings). As a result, debates over terminology reflect the continually shifting nature of immigration law and, by extension, what or who is unauthorized.