Biden scrambles to take back use of 'alien' to describe illegal immigrant during deba
Biden scrambles to take back use of 'alien' to describe illegal immigrant during debate
by Mike Brest
| March 15, 2020 09:20 PM
Former Vice President Joe Biden used the word "aliens" to describe migrants who crossed the border illegally before quickly backtracking during Sunday's Democratic primary debate.
Biden was asked how he would address the roughly 11 million people who are in the country illegally, some of whom may be hesitant to seek treatment for the coronavirus over concerns about deportation.
"Anyone who shows up to be tested for coronavirus or gets coronavirus and is treated would be held harmless," Biden answered.
"Just like I have argued all along: Any woman who crosses the border or is here and being beaten by her husband, but she’s an undocumented, she cannot be deported because she reports. There are certain things you cannot deport an undocumented alien for — an undocumented person for," he said, slightly stuttering, closing his eyes, and lowering his head in a clear display of frustration.
"And that would be one of them," Biden added. "It’s in the interest of everyone. Those folks who are the xenophobic folks out there, it’s even in their interest that that woman come forward or that man come forward because it deals with keeping the spread from moving more rapidly."
Critics say the phrase "alien" or "illegal" is disparaging to migrants. Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas introduced legislation in July that would do away with the words “alien” and “illegal alien” from the Immigration and Nationality Act. He instead wants the federal law to use the phrases “foreign national” and “undocumented foreign national.”
The Associated Press Stylebook opted to change its guidelines on immigration descriptions in 2013. "Except in direct quotations, do not use the terms illegal alien, an illegal, illegals or undocumented," the guide said when it made the change.
Biden, throughout his presidential campaign, has faced backlash for the 3 million deportations that took place under the Obama administration. He has since called those actions “a big mistake" and added that "we took too long to get it right.”
Biden, who is struggling to shore up support among Latinos as he tries to lock up the Democratic presidential nomination, faced off against Sen. Bernie Sanders, his last remaining major rival in the contest, in the debate on Sunday.
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