Why do illegal aliens get called immigrants and not "criminals"?

Question

Immigrants made our country by working hard and honoring our country and it's laws and languages. Criminals ignore laws and operate outside of established society.

ddddddd is a moron, and exactly why this question was asked.

Report me? Report yourself for criminal ignorance.

Answer 1

As a border patrol agent, I tell you that they should be called criminals. If someone robs a bank, or kills someone, he is a criminal because he committed a crime. If someone ILLEGALY crosses the border, he committed a crime and is a criminal. Border crossing is a great concern to the safety of our nation. Terrorists or fugitives escaping from Mexico could jump over the wall, and that scares all of us, because we might think it's someone here to do bad stuff, even though they might not, so why do they have cross illegaly if they're not here to do bad?
Crossing the border illegaly is not honoring our nation's laws at all, and is operating out of established society because they have committed a criminal act.

Answer 2

Because too many people can't make the distinction.

Illegal aliens who reside in this country are immigrants. Why? Because they immigrated to this country. Definition of the word.

Illegal aliens are criminals. Why? Because they committed an illegal act that carries a criminal punishment. Again, definition of the word.

Saying "criminal" is correct, but too broad. Technically, everyone from the serial murderer and rapist to the person who drives with an expired vehicle registration is a criminal. And "criminal" is implied by the use of the adjective "illegal".

Saying just "immigrant" is correct, but still too broad. It ignores the issue of whether the immigration laws were followed or not. It's like calling everyone who drives a car a "driver", but not mentioning whether then are a "licensed driver" or an "unlicensed driver".

I hear people argue that "immigrants aren't criminals". The statement is both partially true and partially false. Like saying "drivers aren't criminals". Illegal drivers (those who break the law) are criminals. Illegal immigrants (those who break the law) are criminals. Those who don't aren't. But the way the argument is made blurs necessary distinctions, without which you can't have a coherent discussion of the issues.

The phrase "illegal alien" or "illegal immigrant" is the most descriptive. It includes both their citizenship status, and whether that status complies with the legal requirements. Thus it preserves the necessary distinctions that many people seem to want to ignore.

You acknowledge those distinctions in question. I wish more people would as well. And if they want to debate an issue, it helps to actually use terminology that accurately describes what they're talking about.

Answer 3

They are criminals. Although from a dictionary point of view they are also immigrants because they come here with the pupose of staying. None of the terms are wrong but when used by some groups to promote illegal activity you have to wonder where this country is headed. A country that ignores its laws is bound to going downhill. Just look at all the 3rd world countries where the law of the land is almost meaningless.

Answer 4

Because people are trying to be politically correct and by doing that they are just pretending there isn't a problem. Illegal aliens think they should have rights and are not criminals... but in all actuality, they are criminals and should be deported back to where they came from. If they want to be citizens of the US, then they should do it the right way.

Answer 5

hay well i guess there not any different from us. because we brake the law to. i mean who really honors the laws. that's all BS everybody brakes the law even if its the simplest thing like passing a stop sign. common now if you gonna say that all criminals are illegal aliens or all illegal aliens are criminals then were all aliens.. if you look in prison the majority are American citizens not (mojo's/wetbacks or whatever you guys call them)**** all the white people are in there for killing there parents or family members or raping there own little kids( family). blacks and Mexican American are in there for guns drugs or raping grown women.the only thing that aliens do is work **** i don't think that's as bad as the **** we Americans do when we break the law. oh for the border patrol didn't the terrorist come thorough Canada why don't you dam patrols and stupid min. men go protect that. and leave those poor people alone all they wanna do is work.like i said we do wost thing and y'all are bitching because they wanna work. **** and you guys are the first to get a ******* to do your **** for soo little pay you dam hypocrites

Answer 6

Illigal immigrants are not criminals, they simply want a better life for their family even if they have to cross to America to get it.

Bush ignores the laws every day so why is he not hold accountable and called a criminal by the Republicans?

Republicans are using illigal immigrants to get their racist voters attention.

Answer 7

Because Bush said we are a nation of immigrants. Therefore we have no inalienable right to protect our borders and govern ourselves - we must dissolve America and form the North American free Trade Union with Canada and Mexico, and do away with capitalism and the middle class and become a facist state. Then CAFTA will make all of south america join with us as one country. Only a soverign citizen has the right to protect their borders and we dont because we're a nation of immigrants.

thank you for waking up to what's going on around you and let me introduce you to the most evil and dangerous person in the world - the leader of the once free world - George Bush.

Answer 8

Some offenses are just more "criminal" than others. Status offenses are not considered to be as bad by many people as are crimes such as rape, murder, burglary, arson; things we would all consider "criminal" in common usage. Of course under the law, all immigration offenses are crimes, but so many people don't think of them that way, and perhaps wish to distinguish between immigration violators and child molesters. and therefore do not think of violating the immigration laws and regulations as "crimes"

What you are really saying is that people should realize these are all crimes, and perhaps they should. However, what's really behind your line of thought is that illegal aliens should be dealt with much more severely than they are now. Perhaps this is easier conceptually than trying to reduce the demand for illegal immigrants: Perhaps it's easier just to punish poor people each of whom only breaks one law as an individual, in contradistinction to sanctioning employers of dozens or even thousands?

___________

Many Americans' ancestors had the same objectives as most Mexican illegal immigrants -- and both groups usually "honored" the law in other respects. It's just that these legal immigrants, presumably your ancestors, were lucky enough to migrate at a time and a place where the immigration laws allowed them in "legally".

I have to say that one of my ancestors, while in line at Ellis Island, noticed that people who were being admitted were marked on their jackets with one color of chalk while those who were being rejected were maked with another color. He found broken chalk of the right color on the floor brushed off his lapel when no one was looking, re-marked himself and got into the "to be admitted line'"All of this is illegal, but I would bet that in everyone's family tree there are people who did things like this. Criminals all of them!!

Answer 9

lol you know I pointed this out to a daft person on this forum the other day....an ILLEGAL ALIEN is a C R I M I N A L !! No matter what anyone else says....sneaking into our country and living here undocumented is breaking the law. Now if you are breaking the law...what does that make you??? Say it with me ladies and gents CRIMINAL!! There are no ifs ands or buts about it...illegal alien = a criminal!!!!

~add on~ This link is for the girl under me http://www.drdsk.com/articles.html#Illegals, please read and educate yourself .... Illegal aliens commit many crimes....many against women....face the facts!! Truth hurts (I know)

Answer 10

They ARE CRIMINALS. I don't give a $hit if they get upset or not. I could care less what they think.

But...to answer your question: It's all about political correctness. We are supposed to watch everything we say and do because we might offend these leeches. Yeah, right. Screw that.....ILLEGALS ARE CRIMINAL TRESPASSERS AND SHOULD BE DEPORTED!!!!!!