Originally Posted by
NoMoreFlying
Doesn't make the term accurate.
I suspect there are other statutes on the books that use derogatory terms for other races, religions, etc. Would you use those terms because they are in statute?
Would you care to provide specifics of such in the U.S.C. and then we can discuss. So it is not PC, it is "derogatory" and it is not "accurate" to use the term when talking about the law when that is a term used therein? I guess
Dictionary.com, for example, needs to note such.
Originally Posted by
Hyperacusis
Where, and in what context? I am genuinely curious because it is an ambiguous term that could mean any number of things.
The term 'alien' is indeed used to refer to non-US citizens. And 'unlawful presence', 'out of status' and 'entry without inspection' are some terms used to refer to those non-citizens within the US that are in violation of immigration law, and may be in the US illegally. 'Illegal alien', as far as I know, is a colloquial term now more commonly used by those on the right to refer to undocumented immigrants in a derogatory way, and isn't generally used in a legal context.
I will show you a quick place where you can then click on the links therein to see how it is used.
Although U.S. law provides no overarching explicit definition of the term "illegal alien," the term is used in many statutes[9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] and elsewhere (e.g., court cases, executive orders). U.S. law also uses the term "unauthorized alien."[18][19][20][21][22] U.S. immigration laws do not refer to illegal immigrants, but in common parlance the term "illegal immigrant" is often used to refer to any illegal alien.[23]
Originally Posted by
Hyperacusis
And of course, NoMoreFlying is correct in that various statutes do indeed use derogatory terms that most of us would be incredibly uncomfortable using.
Would you care to provide specifics of such in the U.S.C.?