In 2021, the Biden administration removed usage of the term ‘alien’ to describe foreigners. Well, words matter and this term is back. On January 21, 2025, US Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) officially reinstated the use of the terms ‘alien’ and ‘alienage’ to define foreigners. This is the beginning as other agencies are expected to follow suit.
Nathasha Rocha, immigration attorney said, “Once again, we see language that doesn’t just describe—it diminishes. These words frame people as outsiders, fundamentally strange and inherently different from humanity.”
The term ‘alien’ carries a long and complex history. First introduced in the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 and later codified in the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, it has always been steeped in connotations of exclusion. For many, ‘alien’ conjures images of something foreign, unfamiliar, and fundamentally different—a word that strips away individuality and belonging, she adds.
According to Rocha, research shows that terms like these reinforce biases, shape public opinion, and influence judicial decisions. For immigrants—many of whom already face daunting challenges—this language only amplifies stigma and makes an already difficult journey even harder.
In Feb 2022, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) unveiled its new mission statement terming America as a ‘Nation of welcome and possibility’ for immigrants. The new mission statement was a stark contrast to the step taken by the earlier Trump administration, which in February 2018, had deleted the reference to America being a ‘nation of immigrants’ from its mission statement. As of now, an acting head has been appointed at this immigration agency. Once a ‘Trump candidate’ is in place, immigration experts once again expect changes in the mission statement.
