Democrats Pissed With Biden For Calling Illegal Aliens ‘Illegals’
President Joe Biden received criticism from Democratic lawmakers over his use of the term “illegals” during his State of the Union address on Thursday.
Biden had spoken about “illegals” after he was pushed by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) to say the name of Laken Riley, the young nursing student who was killed in Georgia late last month by an illegal immigrant from Venezuela.
After botching her name and calling her “Lincoln Riley,” Biden said, “An innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal. That’s right. But how many of the thousands of people being killed by illegals? To her parents, I say, my heart goes out to you having lost children myself. I understand.”
He then added that millions of illegal aliens in the United States should be granted amnesty. He also called on Republicans in Congress to pass a Democrat-backed border bill, suggesting the legislation is the only way he can secure the border.
However, it was his use of “illegals” that caught Democrats’ attention, as many criticized him for that reference.
Rep. Chuy Garcia (D-IL), a Mexican-born lawmaker who moved to the U.S. in 1965, took to X to state, “As a proud immigrant, I’m extremely disappointed to hear President Biden use the word ‘illegal.’”
As a proud immigrant, I'm extremely disappointed to hear President Biden use the word "illegal."
— Congressman Chuy García (@RepChuyGarcia) March 8, 2024
Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL) wrote, “Disappointed that @POTUS would use such dehumanizing right wing rhetoric to speak about immigrants tonight. No human being is illegal.”
Disappointed that @POTUS would use such dehumanizing right wing rhetoric to speak about immigrants tonight. No human being is illegal. #SOTU
— Delia Ramirez (@DeliaRamirezIL) March 8, 2024
Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) took the president’s use of the word as a repetition of “Republican rhetoric.”
“No human being is illegal. Just like we should not be implementing Republican policy, we should not be repeating Republican rhetoric,” she stated.
No human being is illegal.
Just like we should not be implementing Republican policy, we should not be repeating Republican rhetoric.
— Ayanna Pressley (@AyannaPressley) March 8, 2024
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) also chimed in to say, “Let me be clear: No human being is illegal.”
Let me be clear: No human being is illegal.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) March 8, 2024
Speaking to the Associated Press, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, called Biden’s reference to illegal immigrants “disappointing.”
“I wish he hadn’t engaged with Marjorie Taylor Greene and used the word illegal,” she stated.
The Biden administration and Democrats in general have been trying to outlaw the use of the word “illegals,” “illegal immigrant” or “illegal alien” in reference to immigrants who entered the country illegally. The left favors terms such as “undocumented” or even “noncitizens” and “newcomers,” a new term the White House unveiled late last month.
