A House Democrat put forward legislation to strike the terms “illegal alien” and “alien” from U.S. law, an initiative that is also a part of the Biden administration’s immigration reform efforts.
Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro on Monday proposed the Correcting Hurtful and Alienating Names in Government Expression (CHANGE) Act to prohibit the federal government from using “alien” when referencing a person who is not a U.S. citizen or immigrant because it is “derogatory.” The term would be replaced with “foreign national,” and in the case that someone who is not illegally residing in the United States or has recently crossed the border without permission, he or she would be referred to as an “undocumented foreign national.”
Castro said his bill is similar to Biden’s proposed U.S. Citizenship Act, which calls for “alien” to be changed to “noncitizen.” Both bills get at the underlying issue of how people who do not have permission to be in the country are described. “Alien” is a word that immigration restrictionists often use, versus more liberal terms such as “undocumented” or “unauthorized” immigrants.
Castro first introduced the bill in July 2019, but he said he was optimistic now that it might be included in congressional efforts to pass immigration reform bills.
“With a new administration in office, these bills now have a far greater chance of becoming laws,” said Castro. “I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress and the Biden administration on long-overdue immigration reform, and I’m optimistic that my legislation will be included in a broader effort to protect the most vulnerable among us and restore America’s promise as a nation of immigrants.”
Biden’s bill proposes significant changes to immigration policy. It focuses on three aspects of immigration and migration: providing a pathway to citizenship for approximately 11 million illegal immigrants and enhancing labor protections for workers, resolving root causes that prompt millions of Central Americans to flee to the U.S. in the past decade, and putting into place “smart” border controls.
The new White House is open to passing piecemeal immigration bills if Biden’s comprehensive bill proves too complicated, officials aware of the plan told Politico.
