undocumented alien
Unauthorized foreign resident
An undocumented alien is a foreign national residing in a country without legal authorization—lacking a visa, permit, or citizenship.
The term is bureaucratic and appears in legal and policy contexts: The agency estimated three million undocumented aliens in the state.
Some prefer "undocumented immigrant" as less dehumanizing; others use "illegal alien" to emphasize the legal violation.
- illegal immigrantForeign national present unlawfully
- border patrolBoundary enforcement agency
- migrant workerPerson relocating for employment
- human dignityIntrinsic worth of persons
- fearEmotional response to threat
family separation · xenophobia · discrimination · asylum seeker · due process · deportee · wage disparity · labor exploitation · civil liberties · desert · hiding · fake ID · under the table · political asylum · border · immigration court · immigration reform · stateless person
undocumented alienlegal resident
Lawfully authorized to reside
permanent resident · green card holder · documented immigrant · visa holder · legal immigrant
undocumented aliencitizen
Legal national member
national · naturalized citizen · birthright citizen · native · countryman
undocumented, alien, document, documented, documentation, documents, documenting, documentary, aliens