Why “Illegals” Needs to Go

The New York Times Magazine recently ran an article on the subject of language in regards to immigration and immigrants. The point they were exploring, that the ugly term “illegals” is now back in everyday use, may not seem like a terribly important one, given the state of our immigration policies.

But as an immigration attorney here in Knoxville, I see first-hand what the effect of this language has on the families I help. I also see the effect it has on the political landscape of this country, and I can tell you honestly and clearly that the term “illegals” needs to go.

Acceptance is not about “political correctness”

The biggest problem that folks don’t see is that people themselves cannot be “illegal.” They can commit an illegal act, but there is no person who is, by their existence, “illegal.” I’ve never understood how someone could call a toddler brought here by their parents an “illegal.”

We all need to take a good look at what is happening in America, especially now that election season is in full swing. While any rational person will agree that Donald Trump’s ridiculous remarks about Mexican immigrants were both unfounded and offensive, it’s the phrase “illegals” that is more dangerous. By refusing to acknowledge that the men, women and families who flee to America, in whatever ways they can, are doing so to have a better life, we are all denying ourselves an opportunity to make America stronger.

Look at it this way: we can all agree that we should obey speed limit while we’re driving, right? But what if your family member is having a heart attack and needs to get to the hospital more quickly than an ambulance can come to you? In this scenario, wouldn’t you support a person who is trying to protect his or her loved one’s life?

For many immigrants, coming to America is the only chance they have at protecting their own families from poverty, from political tyrants, from abuse or suffering at the hands of warlords or religious persecution. They are more than the sum of this one act, and defining these families as “illegals” ignores that completely. It creates a bigger divide between all of us.

And it does something else, too: it prevents people who are already in this country without documentation from seeking help and a path to citizenship because they are too frightened to come forward. If you heard the leaders of your community refer to you and your family with slurs, wouldn’t you be afraid to seek out their company?

So goes it with the millions of people in America who came here under circumstances outside of what the law requires, or who came to America through the proper channels, but have allowed their visas to lapse for reasons that are often beyond their control.

As a lawyer who strives to help every immigrant obtain the better lives they seek here in Tennessee, I know that this is a touchy subject for many people. This is not about “political correctness;” it is about doing what is right, and being kind to one another. Instead of using that term, we use the phrase “undocumented,” and I’d encourage people to do the same. By taking this small step, and eliminating the term “illegals” from our vocabularies, I think we will be closer to the acceptance and harmony we’d all like to live in.

Patrick Slaughter of LaFevor & Slaughter is a Knoxville immigration attorney. If you are facing deportation, or need legal counsel about your current status or upcoming changes to that status, please contact our firm to schedule an appointment.