Published on March 9, 2024, 12:43 am

President Joe Biden found himself at the receiving end of criticism from his Democratic colleagues following his use of the term “illegals” in his recent State of the Union address. Notably, this came after Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) had pressured him to mention Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student allegedly murdered by an unauthorized immigrant from Venezuela, as per police reports. In a misstep during his speech, Biden mistakenly referred to Laken Riley as “Lincoln Riley.”

Directing his words towards Riley’s grieving family, Biden expressed empathy arising from his personal experience of loss. “An innocent young woman was killed by an illegal [immigrant]. So many individuals are being hurt by illegals,” he said.

Interestingly, later in his speech, Biden extended support for amnesty for millions of undocumented immigrants living within US boundaries, expressing a need for bipartisan cooperation to secure borders and pass Democrat-backed legislation.

However, this reference to “illegals” didn’t strike the right chord within several faction of Democrats. Intense disquiet was evident among some lawmakers who found it dehumanizing and akin to right-wing rhetoric often used derogatorily against immigrants.

“I’m extremely disappointed that President Biden opted to use the term ‘illegal’,” voiced Rep. Chuy Garcia (D-IL), echoing similar sentiments as fellow Democrat Rep. Delia Ramirez; both proud advocates for immigrant rights.

Ramirez rebuked President Biden on social media saying “No human being is illegal,” a sentiment echoed emphatically by Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) post-speech.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), chairperson of the Congressional Progressive Caucus felt particularly slighted with President Biden’s engagement with Republican rhetoric and his usage of terms like ‘illegal’. Similarly vocal in her dissatisfaction was Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), who argued that replicating Republican rhetoric was as detrimental as implementing their policies.

Highlighting the contradiction, it’s worth noting that by and large, the Biden administration encourages the usage of more inclusive language. They have actively advocated for discarding terms like “illegal alien” or “illegal immigrant”, instead promoting descriptors like “newcomers” or “undocumented” in addressing wave of immigrants seen recently in the United States.

The Department of Homeland Security backed this suggestion unequivocally stating, “This change is aimed at fostering inclusive language in agency’s interactions and communications with stakeholders, partners, and general public.”

Meanwhile, amid these developments, Republicans aren’t sparing any opportunity to criticize President Biden’s handling of border-related matters. House Republicans made their discontent known by wearing pins sporting the slogan “Stop The Biden Border Crisis” during the State of the Union address.