Common Terms
Immigration policy can be confusing. Here are a few terms with sources below.
We note here that too often people of faith in the U.S. begin the conversation with punitive perspectives on law without regard for our own collective histories of immigration. We heed the call of Dr. M. Daniel Carroll Rodas to begin the conversation with the image of God. He invites us into a robust theology of migration with bifocals that help us see the Text from another’s global perspective. With this call-in view, we offer the following terms as we sojourn toward loving God and neighbor.
Refugees: Persons who have fled their country of origin (1) out of fear of persecution because of their race, religion, social standing, or political views; (2) to escape an armed conflict; or (3) because of an ecological disaster (such as prolonged drought or a devastating hurricane)
Asylees: Whereas the refugee process is directed by the United Nations, asylees present themselves at international borders and ask for permission to enter for their protection and well-being. Each country has its own profile of who can qualify for asylum.
Immigrants: In contrast, immigrants are those who of their own volition move to another country for any host of reasons and usually petition for lengthy or permanent residence. Immigrants can enter legally—through official ports of entry and according to the rules of the admissions policies established by the host country—or not.
Undocumented (or unauthorized): We prefer the word undocumented rather than illegal for several reasons. Illegal can have a pejorative connotation, suggesting by definition that the person is guilty of some act, has few scruples, and is prone to civil disobedience. This is not the case, of course, with the overwhelming majority of immigrants. Most would gladly regularize their status with the government…
Alien: The common label alien can evoke the sense of someone unchangeably foreign or other, without hope of reconciliation or mediation. In English, alien also is used for creatures from outer space, for nonhumans! Thus, the term illegal aliens is unhelpfully prejudicial. Undocumented immigrants is a better label to represent the current reality.
Northern Triangle: In 2007, the vast majority of migrants attempting to enter the U.S. through its southern border were from Mexico. In 2018, most migrants were from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala — often referred to collectively as the “Northern Triangle countries” because they are the three northernmost Central American countries. Most of the Northern Triangle migrants have been unaccompanied children and families rather than individual adults, and an increasing number of families and unaccompanied children also present themselves at one of the U.S. ports of entry to apply for asylum rather than attempt unauthorized border crossings.
Unaccompanied Child (UC): An unaccompanied child is defined by U.S. law as someone who enters the United States:
Under the age of 18 years old,
Without lawful status, and
Without an accompanying parent or legal guardian.
Dreamers (DACA): Conferring legal status on young unauthorized immigrants brought to the U.S. as children—a group referred to as DREAMers—has been the subject of legislation in Congress since 2001.
TVPRA: The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act. A 2008 law that, among many other elements, governs how unaccompanied children identified at the border are to be treated.
Title 42: A public health law that both the Trump and Biden administrations have cited as a legal justification to turn away asylum seekers because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP): A Trump administration policy that required most asylum seekers who arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border to “remain in Mexico” to await their court hearings, rather than being allowed to wait safely in the U.S. for their court proceedings.
Border or Fence: There are differing opinions about the proper term for the barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border. Many of those who’ve long lived in communities along the border have known it as the “fence.” Across the U.S., it’s most frequently called the “wall,” which some say is a politically-charged term. Currently, “wall” is the term most widely used nationally, according to Google Trends data. (Border Report)
Temporary Protected Status (TPS): Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is granted by the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (Secretary) to eligible foreign-born individuals who are unable to return home safely due to conditions or circumstances preventing their country from adequately handling the return. The Secretary can designate a country for TPS due to:
Ongoing armed conflict (such as civil war),
An environmental disaster (such as earthquake or hurricane), or an epidemic, or
Other extraordinary and temporary conditions
Emigrate vs. Immigrate: Emigrate means to leave one location, such as one’s native country or region, to live in another. Immigrate means to move into a non-native country or region to live. Associate the I of immigrate with “in” to remember that the word means moving into a new country. (Grammarly)
Sources:M. Daniel Carroll | World Relief |Border Report | Immigration Glossary| Immigrant Justice | Migration Policy Institute | National Immigration Forum | American Immigration Council
