The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has returned to calling immigrants “aliens,” a term that has been used to refer to non-citizens in the United States since 1790.
ICE leadership has directed employees to refer to foreign nationals as “aliens” in all “internal and external communications,” according to an internal memo obtained by Axios.
The decision is seen as a nod to President Donald Trump, who seeks to tackle woke DEI initiatives, as well as enforce U.S. law by combatting illegal immigration.
While “alien” is the official term used in federal statutes, and has been used in the U.S. to refer to non-citizens since the late 1700s, as well as in the Immigration and Nationality Act, it has been under attack by immigration advocates who have deemed it offensive.
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After taking office, former President Biden’s administration pushed for more “more inclusive” language. And in 2021, a memo directed ICE employees to officially use “noncitizen” in place of “alien.”
On Tuesday, acting ICE director Caleb Vitello reverted the language guidance back to the way it had always been, according to the internal memo addressed to agency leadership, obtained by Axios.
In his memo, Vitello reportedly specifies the term “noncitizen” is to now be replaced with “alien,” and “noncitizenship” must be replaced with “alienage.”
On Monday, Trump made it clear he intends to enforce U.S. law, signing several executive orders that immediately fulfilled some of his promises made on the campaign trail.
Some of those executive orders included measures to end birthright citizenship to children of illegal migrants, sending troops to seize control of the southern border, and shutting down the Biden-era CBP One immigration app.
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
