This noun implies deviance or emphasizes the criminality of an individual whose only crime would have been illegal entry into the country or an overstayed visa. However, as a noun, illegal is highly offensive. Though the adjectival usage of illegal ( illegal immigrant, illegal resident ) may have an anti-immigration connotation, it is still largely accepted. Illegal alien is a designation for unlawful immigrants that was previously widely used, but is now associated with anti-immigration policies and advocates. As alien is a word that is also associated with extraterrestrial life, it is perceived as dehumanizing when applied to immigrants. While the term continues to be used by the Department of Homeland Security and the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement as a technical term in legal documents, it is not preferred in general discourse. ![]() The term in the United States is inherited from British law, and has been a legal designation for foreign-born residents since the Revolutionary era. Alien is a term used in legal language for a noncitizen resident, regardless of whether that person resides in the country legally or illegally. Each has a unique origin and connotation. Illegal alien, illegal, undocumented, and unauthorized are labels used to describe people unlawfully residing in the United States, whether by clandestine border crossing, visa deadline violation, or other means.
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