Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have reportedly been ordered to stop using the terms “alien” or “illegal aliens” in any documents.
In a memo sent by a Department of Homeland Security official, ICE agents were instructed to use the term “undocumented noncitizen” or “undocumented individual” instead of “illegal alien,” according to a report from the Washington Times.
The memo said that the changes were “an effort to align with current guidance and to ensure consistency in reporting” and that the changes apply to all documents, memos, and emails.
Additionally, agents were told not to use the term “alien smuggling” but to use the term “human smuggling,” and the term “asylee” will now be “asylum-seeker.”
“These changes should be implemented immediately in all products and correspondence,” the memo said.
An ICE spokesperson declined to comment when contacted by the Washington Examiner.
Earlier this week, President Biden signed an executive order instructing other agencies to change their messaging and stop using terms that could be construed as xenophobic, including the phrase “China virus.”
