# Why do people refer to illegal aliens as Undocumented?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-refer-to-illegal-aliens-as-undocumented/495529>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [May 6, 2009, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-refer-to-illegal-aliens-as-undocumented/495529 "2009-05-06T11:50:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 29

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**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-refer-to-illegal-aliens-as-undocumented/495529/29 "2009-05-06T20:08:53Z")

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Framing a political debate is a legitimate tactic within reasonable boundaries. I don’t see **Shodan** et al. up-in-arms about the term “death tax,” which is exactly the same political tactic. For the various reasons offered—imprecision, awkwardness of calling a person illegal rather than an act, focus on the actual problem—I don’t think this re-framing is disingenuous or unreasonable.

> [@Bricker](#):
>
> Aren’t they in violation of 8 USC § 1324 et seq?

I don’t think so. Which criminal provision do you think they would be violating?

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