undocumented immigrant
Migrant without papers
An undocumented immigrant is a person living in a country without legal authorization—lacking a visa, permit, or citizenship.
The term emerged as a neutral alternative to "illegal immigrant" or "illegal alien," which critics consider dehumanizing.
Undocumented immigrants often work jobs that citizens won't take.
The status may result from entering without inspection, overstaying a visa, or falling out of legal status.
- illegalForbidden by statute
- deportationLegal expulsion from country
- illegal alienUnauthorized foreign resident
- borderOuter edge or limit
- asylum seekerOne requesting official protection
detention · coyote · work permit · labor exploitation · naturalization · path to citizenship · checkpoint · sanctuary cities · shadows · day laborer · cultural adaptation · language barriers · DREAM Act · human smuggling · green card · statelessness · political asylum · family reunification
- immigrationvisa, refugee, citizenship, asylum, deportation
- illegal migrantsillegal alien
- migrationrefugees, migrants, refugee, asylum seekers, displaced persons
- outsidersoutcast, outsider, outcasts, pariah, misfit
- wandererswanderer, hikers, vagabond, wanderers, drifter
- displaced peoplerefugee, displaced, IDPs, asylum seeker, displaced persons
undocumented immigrantcitizen
Legal national member
legal resident · documented immigrant · legal immigrant · naturalized citizen · visa holder
undocumented immigrantnative
Originating from a place
citizen · birthright citizen · native son · native-born · national
undocumented, immigrant, document, documented, documentation, documents, documenting, documentary, immigrate