The English language needs your help. Despite having over 200,000 words, English has no single term that succinctly describes a person who illegally crosses a border.
Thus we're stuck with terms like "illegal immigrant," "illegal alien," or "undocumented immigrant," all of which prompt protests from some quarter. Shortening it to single words like "illegal" and "undocumented" doesn't help, and phrases like "people who entered the country illegally" are just plain unwieldy.
Sadly, the search for a proper term has become intertwined with politics, and many people are less interested in clear communication than in using words to manipulate the policy debate. That just makes the problem worse.
So let's set aside the politics, and consider this only as a linguistic problem.
Consider the fact that we have simple, clear words to describe most types of criminals. For example: "jaywalker," "trespasser,""counterfeiter," "arsonist," "kidnapper," "thief," "robber," "rapist," "perjurer," "embezzler," "murderer," and "vandal." Those are all good, unambiguous words that describe a particular type of criminal.
(To be sure, you should use caution if applying those labels to particular people. It's one thing to talk in general about, say, "thieves" in your community, but if you're calling a specific person a thief, you better be sure you're right.)
Still, for all the fluidity of the English language, not all types of criminals can be described in a single word. There is, for example, "drunk driver," "reckless driver" and "drug dealer." Note how both words are important: Simply saying "driver" or "reckless" is not enough.
And -- to get back to our point -- there's no single word to describe people who illegally enter a country. Even the two-word phrases aren't very good.
"Undocumented immigrant" is a clunky euphemism that makes it sound like the person lost his or her wallet. Besides, it's just not accurate -- all people are documented in some fashion, and illegal immigrants are specifically documented by the Border Patrol and immigration courts once they're caught or give themselves up. Some people in the country illegally even have drivers licenses and bank accounts.
I like "illegal immigrant" and "unauthorized immigrant" better as they are clearer and more accurate. But the need to use "illegal" or "unauthorized" just shows how far we are from having a good term. After all, we don't need to say "illegal murderers" or "unauthorized rapists."
We need a new word to describe people who cross the border illegally. I've churned over various ideas in my minds but none seem that good: "Crossers"? "Borderjumpers"? "Illegrants"? I don't think so.
There is room in English for a better term if we can all agree on it. Even terms that sound awkward at first can become accepted over time. Got an idea? Submit it in the comments below.
