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For many observers, that language crosses a line from legal terminology into dehumanization.

Historians Warn About Dangerous Messaging

Immigration historian Mai Ngai argues the website’s messaging carries serious implications.

"What the White House did was an ultimate association of immigrants with not being human," Ngai said.

"To say that they came from a spaceship means they’re not human beings."

According to historians, the term "illegal alien" gained widespread usage throughout the 20th century as immigration enforcement intensified, particularly regarding Mexican laborers and immigration policy changes following the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965.

Ngai argues that by the late 1970s and early 1980s, anti-immigrant sentiment toward Mexicans was frequently framed through assumptions about legal status rather than nationality alone.

A Long Political Evolution

The debate surrounding immigration terminology is not new.

For decades, politicians from both parties routinely used phrases such as "illegal aliens."

Even former Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton publicly used the term during discussions about immigration policy.

In more recent years, however, advocacy groups, academics, and government agencies have pushed for alternatives such as "immigrant," "migrant," or "non-citizen."

Several states have removed the term from official legal language, while former President Joe Biden directed federal immigration agencies to replace "alien" and "illegal alien" with alternative terminology in official communications.

The Trump administration has rejected that shift.

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson defended the language, stating:

"Identifying an individual as an ‘illegal alien,’ is not demeaning, it’s factual."

"The Trump Administration will continue deporting illegal aliens without apology."

Critics Say the Website Goes Even Further

For journalist Jose Antonio Vargas, who was brought to the United States without authorization as a child, the issue extends beyond terminology.

"That term ‘alien’ strips people really of personhood, making people easier to villainize," Vargas said.

"How do you legalize people you call ‘illegal’ or ‘alien’? You don’t. You just call them ‘illegal’ or ‘alien.’"

Critics point to another section of the website that uses nonhuman language when describing immigration arrests:

"If you’ve witnessed an Alien abduction, do not be alarmed. The Alien is in good hands."

"We will take care of it… and return it safely to its place of origin."