undocumented immigrant / unauthorized immigrant / non-status immigrant
What to know
An undocumented immigrant is someone who resides in the US without legal authorization, which is a civil, not criminal, offense. They could have improperly entered the country (which is a misdemeanor), have an expired visa, or belong to an immigration protection status that gets revoked by the US government, such as temporary protective status. The National Association of Hispanic Journalists guidance recommends using the term “undocumented immigrant” when describing a US resident’s lack of legal authorization.
The term “illegal” as a noun can be misleading and reductive, since a person cannot inherently be “illegal.” In addition, NAHJ says it inaccurately obfuscates “complex and everchanging legal circumstances with an unspecified assumption of guilt.” Immigration advocates strongly object to the term “illegal immigrant,” which they argue is dehumanizing, has racist connotations, and can suggest criminality. Some critics of the term also point out that “immigrant” can imply legality, so the term “illegal immigrant” is confusing. The Associated Press Stylebook suggests only using the term “illegal immigration” to describe the act as illegal rather than the person, and to specify and attribute how and where a person immigrated illegally.
In national and international law, the term “alien” is synonymous with “noncitizen” and is used in legal documents, particularly in legislation and official immigration forms, but many immigrant rights groups also consider it a dehumanizing term. As of April 2021, US federal immigration agencies began replacing “alien” and “illegal alien” with “noncitizen” and “undocumented noncitizen” in all internal communications and external correspondence. However, the Trump administration reversed that policy in January 2025. “Alien” and “illegal alien” are best reserved for direct quotes from people or legislation.
The 2024 US presidential election saw an onslaught of xenophobic, hateful rhetoric toward undocumented immigrants. Terms such as “illegal” and “alien” were frequently used, which fall into a pattern of dehumanizing language and framing that furthers division and heightens alarm. Since President Trump took office, states across the US have seen a highly politicized wave of deportations and increased immigration officer presence — and protests in response. When covering undocumented immigrants and their experiences, journalists must take care not to further endanger their sources.
Additional resources
- 8 US Code § 1101 (Cornell Law School)
- Glossary of Immigration Terms (Freedom for Immigrants)
- Irregular migration (Migration Data Portal)
- Why ‘Undocumented’ or ‘Irregular’? (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees)
- No person is illegal — the language we use for immigration matters (Vera Institute of Justice)
Summary
An undocumented immigrant is someone who resides in the US without legal authorization, which is a civil, not criminal, offense. They could have improperly entered the country (which is a misdemeanor), have an expired visa, or belong to an immigration protection status that’s been revoked by the US government. The National Association of Hispanic Journalists guidance recommends using the term “undocumented immigrant” over a term such as illegal immigrant, which is misleading and reductive, since a person cannot be illegal. “Alien” is used in some legal documents, but many immigrant rights groups consider it dehumanizing. Extra care is needed when reporting on immigration to ensure that journalists do not endanger their sources.