Council Member Francisco Moya at the virtual city council hearing (Twitter)
May 29, 2020 By Allie Griffin
The City Council voted to axe the terms “alien” and “illegal immigrant” from all official city documents, laws and rules Thursday.
The terms are offensive and discriminatory toward undocumented immigrants, said Elmhurst Council Member Francisco Moya, who introduced the bill in January.
The term to replace the phrases will now be “noncitizen.”
“No human being is illegal,” Moya said. “‘Illegal immigrant’ and ‘alien’ are dehumanizing and divisive and they don’t belong our city’s guiding documents.”
Council Speaker Corey Johnson praised the bill’s 46-4 vote. He said New York City is the first city to end the use of the terms in their official documents.
BREAKING: New York City just became the first major U.S. city to prohibit the use of the dehumanizing and offensive term “alien” in local laws, rules, and documents. From now on, the term will be “noncitizen.”
— NYC Council Speaker Corey Johnson (@NYCSpeakerCoJo) May 28, 2020
Four council members voted against the bill, including Glendale Council Member Robert Holden.
“It’s like the speech police is out again,” Holden told the New York Post. “Alien is a term used for someone who is from another area, another land. That’s a term used in Congress and in the government.”
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18 Comments
This is incredible. These politicians are being paid by the taxpayers who reside here legally and who expect them to work for them. But in reality all they want to benefit is illegal immigrants. The government no longer works for its people. Time to vote them out.
Agreed, Trump completely failed to get Mexico for the wall, now we have more immigrants coming in than ever before. Like you said many of them reside here.
All they care about is the feelings of the illegals. I don’t care what you wanna call them they’re here illegally. Take care of your people and then help them out. No wonder the city is $9 billion In The hole. Stupid liberals have ran this city to the ground. Spend all the money on bike lanes and stupid things.
You voted for the president because you ACTUALLY believed Mexico would make a “one-time payment” for the wall! Yeesh, you’re so gullible.
He hasn’t done a single thing to secure our borders. But “muh libruls” are to blame?
Typical response. You are automatically assuming people voted for Trump, just because they don’t agree with NY leftist liberals. We get it Trump – Bad! “Ok, boomer”. I haven’t voted for him, but now I will. Stop radicalizing Democracy.
Excuse me, “muh deblaz” is what you were saying, my bad.
>I haven’t voted for him, but now I will
Wow, no integrity at all. Sad!
That’s how things work in a free country, but people like you working very hard to change it to a party of one. It’s pretty obvious from your posts.
Got it!
Illegal noncitizen – here illegally, bypassing all background checks, without vaccines, unvetted, getting free education and medical care, cutting in line before all legal immigrants waiting for years to immigrate, not paying taxes for various free programs given to them, not allowed to vote, yet vote in rigged elections, hence most protected group by city and state administration, here illegally don’t care if they do anything illegal since no consequences.
Legal noncitizen – here legally, get vaccinated to pass medical before immigrating, pay thousandS of $$$ for various applications to immigration services, wait years to get visa approval, get to US, not be a burden and be a contributing member of society, get a job usually low wage, pay taxes, pay for medical bills, pay for everything, get stabbed or assaulted taking the train to work or walking on the street, while paying into city coffers and not enjoying any of the services they pay for, virtually same “rights” as US citizens, except the right to vote, cannot participate in rigged elections because breaking the law has consequences, hence city and state are not interested in improving legal noncitizens quality of life.
Citizen – born here or naturalized, taxpayer, paying for everything, not enjoying any of the benefits they pay for, veteran, homeles, inner city kid getting poor education as more resources are given to illegal noncitizens, or city administration pockets, lower quality of life, high cost of medical care. Citizens with the right to vote, least protected group by NYC administration, get played one against the other by politicians tiring to divide us while not providing services our taxes are designed to be spent on, better infrastructure, better schools, more hospital beds, care for mentally ill, Better affordable housing.
Some rant about Democrats I’m guessing
The descent into third-world anarchy continues.
Government documentation = “anarchy”
The city where Trump owns a golden tower with his name on it = “third-world”
Trump lovers don’t really do nuance ?
Oops, complete lie! Now Republicans want to blame someone else because Trump is weak on security?
The curve has been flattened, can we reopen the city already? Millions of citizens are unemployed and would like to earn a living again. As rent is due in a few days and the government has done nothing to protect rights of renters beyond this absurd non eviction for 90 days crap, it’s time to let people earn money before they join the growing ranks of homeless sleeping on the subways. This token legislation does nothing to improve the current situation
It’s a shame you didn’t know anything about the 7 criteria for reopening. That’s why ALL of NYS is open except for NYC, and it will open soon. Reading is hard!
7 criteria. Meanwhile mobs of unmasked protestors can roam freely burning cars and looting. Maybe you need to wait for the governor to tell you when its ok to flush?
Roam freely? Yeesh, completely out of the loop again.
Not sure what that has to do with the 7 criteria for reopening the city that you knew absolutely nothing about. Or the all-time high unemployment thanks to Trump.
Love your thousands of up votes dude, get a life. We’re starting to reopen next week.
Sounds like someone’s jelly they didn’t get as many upvotes lol.