More Than a Label: Why “Illegal Immigrant” Is Not Only Inaccurate, But Inhumane

“The moment we name someone illegal, we declare them unworthy of belonging — and that is the root of all trauma: being told you don’t deserve to exist.” - Mary Coughlin

We hear it all the time — on the news, in political speeches, scrolling social media:
“Illegal immigrant.”

It’s a term used so casually, so often, that many assume it’s just a neutral descriptor. But here’s the truth:

There is no such thing as an “illegal immigrant.”

Not in U.S. law. Not in international law. And certainly not in any framework rooted in dignity, truth, or justice.

Instead, this term — and the violence it carries — is a product of propaganda: a language of exclusion, rooted in racism, sustained by scarcity, and weaponized to erode the very foundation of democracy.

The Legal Reality the Public Rarely Hears

There are many ways people come to live in the U.S.:

• As lawful permanent residents (green card holders),

• On temporary visas (students, workers, tourists),

• As asylum seekers and refugees, who have full legal rights to request protection,

• Or as undocumented individuals, many of whom overstayed a visa — a civil violation, not a criminal one.

Even crossing the border between official entry points is not a blanket criminal act. Under U.S. and international law, a person may request asylum regardless of how they enter. It is a legal right. A sacred right. And one that exists for a reason: to protect human lives from violence, persecution, and war.

Yet the term “illegal immigrant” flattens all of that complexity. It brands people with a scarlet letter, suggesting that their mere presence is a crime. That they are a crime.

Let’s Be Honest: This Is Propaganda

The term “illegal immigrant” is not about legality — it’s about power.

It doesn’t apply to undocumented Europeans or Canadians. It’s disproportionately used against Black and brown bodies, especially those crossing the southern border — many of whom are fleeing circumstances shaped by U.S. policy, global inequality, or climate crisis.

And it thrives in a narrative of scarcity:

• “They’re taking our jobs.”

• “They’re draining our resources.”

• “They’re overwhelming the system.”

None of this is supported by evidence. But scarcity, like racism, is emotionally potent. It tells us there isn’t enough to go around — not enough safety, support, or belonging. And so someone must be excluded.

But scarcity is a lie.
There is enough — if we choose to share it. If we choose to care.

This Is Bigger Than Immigration

What we’re witnessing is not just flawed policy.
It’s not just cruelty at the margins.
It is the slow, deliberate dismantling of democracy.

We are seeing students with valid visas being detained. Asylum seekers turned away. Longtime residents illegally deported to places they were legally protected from.

This is not a glitch.
It’s the point.

It follows the authoritarian playbook:

• Create an enemy class.

• Criminalize their existence.

• Expand the state’s power to detain, surveil, and remove them.

• Then turn that power on anyone who resists.

Today it’s immigrants.
Tomorrow it’s protestors.
Then journalists.
Then… you.

We must not look away.
We must not play along.

Language Is Where Healing — and Resistance — Begins

I’ve spent my life working to make care more trauma-informed — not just in the NICU, but in every space where humans show up hurting and hopeful.

And here’s what I know:

The moment we name someone illegal, we declare them unworthy of belonging — and that is the root of all trauma: being told you don’t deserve to exist. — Mary Coughlin

Whether at the bedside, the border, or the ballot box — this is where our work lives now.
Where our hearts are needed most.

Because no one is illegal.
No one is disposable.
Everyone belongs.

Reflection Questions

• Where have I heard or used the term “illegal immigrant”? What feelings or assumptions were beneath that?

• What shifts when I replace it with “undocumented,” “asylum seeker,” or “human being”?

• How might I challenge harmful language in my conversations, classrooms, or communities?

Call to Action

🪢 Learn more about how we can REIMAGINE our democracy, language, and systems of care. Link to Project 2026 or The People’s Declaration

Sincerely, with every fiber of my being,
Mary

P.S.: If this stirred something in you — a question, a fire, a quiet knowing — you’re not alone. This is the work of remembering our shared humanity. I invite you to read it again, share it widely, or simply sit with what it opens in you.
Because every conversation we shift, every word we reclaim, every act of care — is how we begin to heal.