The Rhetorical Functions of Alien Terminology
ICE memo last night directed staff to use term “alien” — including referring to non citizenship as alienage.
— Hamed Aleaziz (@Haleaziz) January 22, 2025
ICE Terminology Memo (Jan. 21, 2025): ICE, Jan. 21, 2025: “This memorandum supersedes and rescinds the April 19, 2021, Updated Terminology for Communications and Materials memorandum from Acting Director Tae Johnson. Moving forward, for all communications materials and internal and external communications, ICE employees are directed to use the lexicon consistent with the Immigration and Nationality Act and the language historically used by the agency.”Alien is the mandated term to be used for noncitizen. |
As I have written previously, the word alien has dehumanizing aspects that helps rationalize harsh treatment of people. It is the term used in the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Ronald Niezen writes for The Conversation (“‘Aliens’ and ‘animals’ – language of hate used by Trump and others can be part of a violent design“) that hateful language used to demonize particular groups of people had been used long before the era of Donald Trump, including by the Nazis.
“In the lead-up to and during World War II, fascist leaders in Europe targeted Jews, Roma, gay people and other groups as sources of `social pollution,’ as beyond being human, while describing themselves as noble and decent, embodying a pure, uncorrupted nation.
In 1920, well before the German Nazi Party came to power in 1933, its platform declared that `Only someone of German blood, regardless of faith, can be a citizen.’”
Donald Trump repeatedly uses the term aliens in his press conferences and executive orders. And he is harshly enforcing the immigration laws. A coincidence?
KJ