# "Illegals" and "invaders" should be moderated as hate speech in the context of immigration debates

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegals-and-invaders-should-be-moderated-as-hate-speech-in-the-context-of-immigration-debates/985244
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [June 9, 2023, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegals-and-invaders-should-be-moderated-as-hate-speech-in-the-context-of-immigration-debates/985244 "2023-06-09T15:31:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 236

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2023, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegals-and-invaders-should-be-moderated-as-hate-speech-in-the-context-of-immigration-debates/985244/236 "2023-06-11T18:31:55Z")

</div>

> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#):
>
> I am having trouble finding my source–but yesterday when I was looking at the origin of the term “illegal immigrant,” I believe one cite traced it back to 1940s United Kingdom, as Jews were attempting to immigrate to the UK. Does anyone else know the origin of this term?

Checked my copy of the OED. The earliest cites for both “illegal immigrant” and its shortened form “illegal” are dated 1939, both in reference to Jews and Palestine.

Apologies if this has already been brought up, but I’m not going to plough through 200 more posts right now.

---

_[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegals-and-invaders-should-be-moderated-as-hate-speech-in-the-context-of-immigration-debates/985244)._