DOJ tells U.S. attorneys to use ‘illegal alien’ instead of ‘undocumented’: report

The Department of Justice (DOJ) informed U.S. attorneys to use the term “illegal alien” when referring to an individual who entered the country illegally, according to CNN.

The news outlet said it obtained a DOJ-wide email that discourages attorneys from referring to immigrants in the country illegally as “undocumented.”

“The word ‘undocumented’ is not based in U.S. code and should not be used to describe someone’s illegal presence in the country,” the email said, according to a CNN article published Tuesday.

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The DOJ indicated the memo was intended to ensure the department is “consistent in the way we draft our releases.”

President Trump has often used heated rhetoric when speaking out against illegal immigration, using terms like “infestation” and calling foreign gang members “animals.”

The Trump administration has sought to crack down on illegal immigration, with the DOJ at the forefront of that effort.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced earlier this year that the administration would implement a “zero tolerance” policy and criminally charge anyone suspected of illegally entering the United States. The policy led to the separation of thousands of migrant children from their parents, sparking fierce bipartisan backlash.

Trump subsequently signed an executive order to halt the family separations. However, the government has been slow to reunite children with their parents, despite a court order requiring expedited reunification.