Biden Administration Changes 'Foreigners' to 'Non-Citizens' in Immigration Law to Eliminate Discrimination

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] The Biden administration in the United States is pushing to remove the word 'alien' from its immigration law.

On the 21st (local time), CNN reported that President Biden's immigration bill submitted to Congress the previous day includes replacing 'alien' with 'noncitizen.'

Regarding this measure, the government explained in a statement, "The United States seeks to further acknowledge that it is a nation of immigrants."

Current federal law defines an alien as "a person who is not a citizen or national of the United States." However, this term has long been criticized for implying discrimination and derogation, especially when paired with the phrase 'illegal alien.' In fact, former President Donald Trump frequently used the term 'illegal alien' in speeches related to immigration policy.

This is not the first effort by the U.S. to change the terminology referring to foreigners. California eliminated the term 'alien resident' from its state labor law in 2015, and New York City removed the term from its charter and administrative code last year. A Colorado state legislator also introduced a bill to replace the term 'illegal alien' with 'undocumented immigrant.' This bill is currently pending in the state senate.

CNN stated, "President Biden wants to remove the controversial term from U.S. law," adding, "This is a small part of the comprehensive immigration reform he is pursuing."