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Comment by Eumenes | Hacker News Reader

Does this apply to illegal aliens? If so, I don't really see a problem with this, esp. in the wake of the Israel/Gaza conflict. Look at the country of origin from recent southern border crossing. Its all over the place. Somehow people from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, are getting to Mexico, and crossing the border. If I was trying to migrate to a different country, as an American, I'd fully suspect that country to do everything in its power to vet me.

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As an american, it is unlikely (if understandable) that you know how your immigration system works neither in paper or in practice. As an american who has never lived abroad, you most definitely don't know how other immigration systems work. Your understanding of immigration has been molded by the media you consume, both news of whatever slant and movies.

False. Led startups and teams, involved in hiring and helping to process h1b/e3/f1/tn visas. Held a blue card in Germany. What's your experience?

Have lived in 5 countries in the Americas and Europe as an adult, including the US.

The second sentence of the article says that it's being used on visa applicants, who are therefore trying to enter the country legally. If CBP is already aware that someone has or is attempting to enter the country illegally, they don't need to analyze their social media.

Also, "illegal alien" is an outdated term because implies an individual's entire existence as "illegal," which is dehumanizing.

ICE and CBP are using it ... ICE is more involved in illegal migration cases. So its likely being used for both legal immigration pathways and the illegal ones. Perhaps further FOIA or reporting will help reveal more details.

Also, "illegal alien" is an outdated term because implies an individual's entire existence as "illegal," which is dehumanizing

The "outdated" critique is Orwellian - an attempt to language police and limit the scope of debate by reframing the words and terms used to discuss a complex issue. Newspeak's purpose is to limit freedom of thought and control the population. The aim is to restrict the range of ideas people can express, thereby limiting the range of ideas they can even consider. When we start policing the term "illegal immigrant," we run the risk of narrowing our debate and discussion surrounding immigration policy.

It's also worth considering the consistency of this argument across different domains. For example, nobody is advocating for softening the term "illegal miner". In these contexts, the term "illegal" serves to accurately describe an action that is against the law. It doesn't mean that the individual’s entire identity is reduced to that action, but it does indicate that the action itself is not in compliance with existing laws.

>Newspeak's purpose is to limit freedom of thought and control the population

>control the population

Isn't that what immigration departments do?

The terminology around illegal is a political act. It is illegal to cross a border without authorization everywhere. The goal is prey on social grace to get people to use words like “undocumented” which means policy can be controlled via documentation. The idea is to subvert the law by changing terminology. I can’t tell if you are a sheep or a wolf from your post.

>Also, "illegal alien" is an outdated term because implies an individual's entire existence as "illegal," which is dehumanizing.

The phrase "illegal alien" appears in federal law. <https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/1365>

>Does this apply to illegal aliens?

How could it? Undocumented people are undocumented. The harder / longer the process the more likely people are just find ways to forgo engaging with it. Especially if it looks like positive outcome is unlikely.

Would need to see a citation on the rest of you've said as it sounds a little like right wing talking point.

Seems a bit rich the descendants of many migrants are pulling up the ladder.

Migrants always pull up the ladder, they're no different than you and I. Look at South Africa, visas are a total nightmare meanwhile almost everybody there are from tribes that migrated in recent history.

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