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15 - dont kid yourself, this is such a small percentage of the entire illegal population. Most work for cash off the books - even when working for large companies.

There is a big portion of Undocumented Immigrants who use bogus SSN and they will never be able to benefit from their contribution to Social Security Fund.Who gets this free money?

These discussions on terminology are silly. All of them apply. Calling them one thing or the other doesn't change their status. Nobody is a "criminal" until convicted. Once an immigration court finds they are here ILLEGALLY (yes, that's what it's called, being here illegally), then they are CRIMINALS. The sentence is deportation and a bar from re-entry into the US. You think ALIEN is somehow offensive? Why don't you read the US Constitution. It's the term we've used for non-citizens since at least 1786.

Well, I am not hardcore on the subject of illegal immigration in spite of what I said earlier. I was really playing devil's advocate more than anything else.

Stripping any suggestion of a crime having been committed is misleading, but I've seen a disturbing trend of painting illegal immigrants (undocumented workers) as being bad people. I've heard terrorism fitted neatly into conversations on illegal immigration. I've heard SATAN slipped into the conversation. I've heard of situations involving people who are illegals but there illegal status has no bearing on the case where their status is brought up as a means to turn the argument against them.

It's paranoia to the utmost. But as the son of a LEGAL immigrant (and indeed an immigrant myself since I wasn't born in the US), I see the frustration of people who went through all the trouble to get here legally and STAY legally.

What I think needs to be done is that it needs to be considerably easier to come to the US legally. That way, anyone who sneaks in is probably here up to no good.

NYCMB: I'm happily in complete agreement with you.

I simply feel it is dehumanizing to refer to a person as ILLEGAL or an ALIEN, not to mention CRIMINAL. I say call it what it is, and the clearest way to refer to a productively working individual who has a paid position without being documented is UNDOCUMENT WORKER. Seems obvious but maybe not.

illegal immigrants or illegal aliens is accurate

when they become legal, they will become legal aliens or legal immigrants

when they become citizens, they will be citizens, aka Americans

why all the whitewashing & PC obfuscation?

Appreciate the comments above, which of course tread in the gray waters (no pun intended) created by lack of immigration enforcement, enabling some to argue that laws aren't really laws, which of course without the rule of law becomes quite true.

I do think immigrants who learn to speak English live a life above ground (and can even enjoy unionization, etc.) while those who don't stay underground and in some cases are much more stigmatized -- and truly alien.

Each of my teenage sons had great difficulty working. It was essential that they earn money for college and they were willing to work long hours at whatever they could get, but they were always up against undocumented workers who would work even longer for less. In one instance my son had been a bicycle pizza delivery boy. He worked mostly for tips but on slow nights he was guarenteed minimum wage. The family owned business loved him and treated him like one of their own kids. However, they were approached by an undocumented man who offered to work only for tips with no min wage guarentee. they explained to my son that they were barely getting by and could not afford to turn down the offer. Eventually, each of my sons learned that the only sure thing was valet parking as that required a valid license. Their situations made me very sad and gave them a taste of bitter reality that they will carry on into the future

NYCMB & Paulo

It's exactly that terminology that divides the wingnuts from the moonbats. The latter point is expressed by you both. The wingnuts say that your PC language is meant to hide the truth that these folks are illegal.

I'm on your side, so don't attack me. I'm just pointing out that the vocabulary is part & parcel of the debate.

Paulo,
Criminal aliens?
Perhaps I won't object to criminal; I don't have the energy to explain my feelings toward that, but I have to object to using the word "alien," which I see as even more insensitive as calling human beings "illegal" or "illegals."
It is an egregious mistake to call people aliens.
Undocumented workers or undocumented immigrants is the appropriate language, as NYCMB suggests.

It should surprise no one that more immigrants have jobs but need aid. They are being exploited the people that hire them. These exploiters are the ones that we should be calling "illegals" and persecuted. Only desperate people are willing to work for these wages.

I am tired of people saying that "they do the jobs that americans won't". In reality they are doing the jobs that americans would do if they were paid properly.

Gee Doink, Doctors don't want to learn medicine here anymore, and never commit diagnoses to their patients out of fear of possible lawsuits! Why would they want to bother learning foreign languages? To tell non-english speakers they don't know what's wrong with them in their own language so as to avoid THOSE possible lawsuits!!!? LOL.

You're right. They themselves are not illegal... just their action of coming into this country or staying past their authorized time here. Therefore we should refer to them as criminal aliens. That would be more accurate.

Is it even remotely possible that Brian's guests can get out of the habit of referring to immigrants as ILLEGAL?? Instead they are UNDOCUMENT WORKERS, or undocumented immigrants. What is ILLEGAL about these human beings?

Simple to avoid importation of foreign doctors -- require that native born US doctors learn foreign languages so as to serve millions of non-speaking English. Chefs did it, so can MDs.