As you may have gathered, I don’t think serious law schools — including student government groups at such law schools — should be “direct.”[ing]”Faculty, staff and students not using specific legal terms, especially when they are part of the law, statutory titles present (Alien Tort Statute) and past (Alien Act), court opinions and more. But here I just wanted GW Law Student To present the text of the Bar Association resolution, so that readers can make up their own minds about it.
Purpose: To urge members of The George Washington University and George Washington University Law School to refrain from using the terms “illegal,” “alien” and “assimilation” in internal communications and external correspondence regarding immigration.
WHere:Since 1948, the right to a nationality, the right to change one’s nationality and the right not to be deprived of one’s nationality have all been universally recognized under international law.1;
Where: The term “alien” has historically been used throughout US immigration law to refer to individuals who do not have US citizenship and are not US citizens.2;
Where: Immigration advocates have long argued that the word “alien” dehumanizes immigrants and typically conjures up images of Martians or Mandalorians that lend themselves easily to xenophobic rhetoric.3;
Where: State and municipal governments such as California and New York City have taken steps to remove and replace the word “alien” in long-standing legal codes.4;
Where: The phrase “illegal alien” has historically been used in U.S. immigration discourse to describe a person who is not a U.S. citizen or is not a U.S. citizen and is present within the sovereign territory of the United States in a manner inconsistent therewith. the law5;
Where: The phrase “illegal alien” is often strategically weaponized to stoke prejudice against undocumented immigrants inside and outside the courtroom, such as when the DOJ ordered all prosecutors to adopt the term “illegal alien” instead of “undocumented immigrant.” Guidance from former Attorney General Jeff Sessions6;
Where: The phrase “assimilate” has historically been used throughout US immigration to describe the goal of the naturalization process, which seeks to incorporate non-citizens and non-nationals into American culture.7;
Where: The principle of “assimilation” has historically been used to control, reshape, and eliminate traditional cultural identities that differed from contemporary American cultural norms, such as in the case of Native Americans.8;
Where: In January 2021, the Biden administration issued guidance memos through the Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agencies to adopt “more inclusive” language, replacing words such as “illegal,” “alien,” all Officers were instructed. “and “assimilation” with “non-citizens,” “undocumented persons,” and “integration”9;
Where: US Citizenship Act, H.R. 1177 and s. 348, enacted in February 2021, replaces every use of the word alien in all its singular, plural, and possessive forms throughout United States immigration law with noncitizen.10;
Where: George Washington University is officially chartered by Congress and many members of the GW Law community have worked, currently serve, or will work in all three branches of the United States federal government.11;
Where: The Student Bar Association Senate Academic Policy Committee unanimously approved a draft joint resolution on content, grammar and bylaw compliance …; Now, therefore,
bE i amT AndTo solve: The George Washington University Law School Student Bar Association as a whole—
- condemned The use of the words “alien,” “illegal alien,” “illegal immigration,” “assimilation” or any other dehumanizing and offensive discourse surrounding immigration discourse in all forms of communication by members of the GW Law community – including faculty, students, administrators, and staff;
- Condemned Use of the words “alien,” “illegal alien,” “assimilation” or any other dehumanizing and offensive language surrounding immigration discourse in all forms of communication by members of the GW University community – including faculty, students, administrators and staff;
- recognizes Inclusive word choices can have the effect of creating solutions to a problem as complex as migration and being used as a bridge to form concrete, practical, humanitarian policy change;
- instructs All members of the GW legal community adopt more inclusive language to bring internal and external communications consistent with recent directives from the executive branch – such as “non-citizens,” “alien nationals,” “undocumented persons,” and “integration” – to encourage more humane and secure immigration policies. Intended, to avoid any confusion about the correct terminology post-guidance; ….
1See, e.g, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, art. XV “Everyone has the right to a nationality. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor deprived of the right to change his nationality.”
2 Immigration and Nationality Act, 9 USC §1101(a)(3).
3 LA Times, froMr ‘Alien‘ to ‘Noncitizen‘: Why the biden Word chAnge MAtters in the i ammmigrAtion DebAteLA Times, (February 18, 2021, 4:50 PM), httPs://www.lAtimes.crelated to/enThertAinment–arts/story/2021–02–18/ImgRation–Alien–noncitizen–lAnguAge–Politi cs-registered(last visited on October 23, 2021).
4 Beam, Adam, California will replace the word ‘alien’ from its lawsAssociated Press News, (Sept. 24, 2021), httPs://APnews.crelated to/articThe/ImgRation–cAlifornia-race-and-ethnicity-injustice-gavin-nuejoMr(last visited on October 23, 2021).
5United States v. Texas809 F.3d 134, 148 (5th Cir. 2015).
6 Copan, palm, Justice DePArtMrent: Ase ‘illegAl Aliens,‘ not ‘undocuMrented‘CNN, (July 24, 2018, 8:12 PM), httPs://www.cnn.crelated to/2018/07/24/Politics/justice–dePartMrent–illegAl–Aliens–undocuMrenThed/insidedeX.htMrl(last visited on October 23, 2021).
7see Alejandro Portes and Alejandro Rivas, Adaptation of immigrant childrenFuture Child., Spring 2011, 219, at 221–22.
8United States v. Clapaks, 13 Sawy. 349, 35 F. 575 (D.Ore. 1888).
9 Rose, Joel, i ammmigrAtion Agencies Andrdered Not To Ase TerMr ‘i amllegAl Alien‘ Ander New biden policy, NPR, (April 19, 2021, 2:51 PM), httPs://www.nPr.org/2021/04/19/988789487/ImgRation–Agencies–ordered–not–to–use–TherMr–illegAl–Alien–un -New-Biden-Police(last visited on October 23, 2021).
10see US Citizenship Act, HR 1177, 117th Cong. (2021); see more US Citizenship Act, S. 348, 117th Cong. (2021).
11 An Act to incorporate Columbia College in the District of Columbia, 6 Stat. 255, 16th Congress (1821).