UCLA student government looks to ban term ‘illegal immigrant’
The undergraduate student government at the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday calling for the end of the use of the phrase “illegal immigrant,” saying it violates human rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.
“The racially derogatory I-word endangers basic human rights including the presumption of innocence and the right to due process guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution,” the resolution states.
Student senators seek to ban the term ‘illegal immigrant.’
The resolution came in response to undocumented students who had “expressed their concerns and fear with the recent appointment of Janet Napolitano, former US Secretary of Homeland Security,” as the new University of California president.
A record number of undocumented immigrants were deported during Napolitano’s time leading the Department of Homeland Security.
The resolution was also presented as a means for improving campus safety.
“Racially derogatory language… has historically bolstered the foundation for racially harmful actions including racial profiling practices, punitive policies targeting socially marginalized groups, hate crimes and violence,” it states.
The student government did not respond to requests for comment from Campus Reform.
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