... still, noncitizen still sounds better than undocumented. The problem with noncitizen is that includes everybody who is not a US citizen, whether they are in the US or not. Illegal alien is more to the point, describing somebody who is not from the US, residing in the US against the law regarding entry and residence in the US. The problem with aliens is that it is a popular term for mythical beings who are not from this planet.

The library of congress is going to be stuck cataloging information on "noncitizens" who are in the country illegally. This is not going to work. Not only is it an assault on language, it is an assault on freedom of information.

We need a single word to describe illegal aliens, besides the more tempting ones.