--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: it bears mention that “illegal” is a…" description: "\"“it bears mention that “illegal” is a misnomer: crossing into or remaining in the United States without proper authorization is not a crime, but rather..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a7/ian-haney-l-pez-25230_quote_it-bears-mention-that-illegal-is-a-misno_2205633.jpg" --- # it bears mention that “illegal” is a misnomer: crossing… ![“it bears mention that “illegal” is a misnomer: crossing into or remaining in the United States without proper authorization is not a crime, but rather a civil matter. Thus, contrary to Scalia’s preference, the Court majority eschewed the term “illegal alien,” noting that “as a general rule, it is…” quote by Ian Haney López](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a7/ian-haney-l-pez-25230_quote_it-bears-mention-that-illegal-is-a-misno_2205633.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a7/ian-haney-l-pez-25230_quote_it-bears-mention-that-illegal-is-a-misno_2205633.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a7/ian-haney-l-pez-25230_quote_it-bears-mention-that-illegal-is-a-misno_2205633.jpg) > ““it bears mention that “illegal” is a misnomer: crossing into or remaining in the United States without proper authorization is not a crime, but rather a civil matter. Thus, contrary to Scalia’s preference, the Court majority eschewed the term “illegal alien,” noting that “as a general rule, it is not a crime for a removable alien to remain present in the United States.”” [Ian Haney López](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-haney-l-pez/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The term “illegal alien” is inaccurate; unauthorized presence is a civil, not criminal, issue **In simple terms:** Immigration status is civil, not criminal Key Takeaway Recognize legal terminology matters Themes immigration law civil rights terminology Mood serious analytical Type legal informative When to use this quote - policy debates - public discourse - media reporting Key Concepts Legal classification jurisprudence Questions to Reflect On - How does terminology shape public opinion? - What are the implications of civil versus criminal classification? A Different Perspective Legal language can be politicized, affecting perception ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [In a groundbreaking move, the Associated Press, the largest news-gathering organization in the World, will no longer use the term 'illegal immigrant'. 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"Are you an illegal alien?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/she-scowled-at-him-until-a-light-appeared-in-her-intelligent-eyes-as/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [“...my body has become another country and I feel like an unemployed illegal alien how will I survive where I do not belong I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-califia-rice/my-body-has-become-another-country-and-i-feel-like-an-unemployed/) Patrick Califia-Rice ## More by Ian Haney López > [“Alabama in 1927 alone, 27,701 men were arrested on misdemeanor charges and offered for sale by county sheriffs. 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Yet many whites…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-haney-l-pez/we-would-like-to-believe-that-if-the-polity-understood-that-race/) [Ian Haney López](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-haney-l-pez/) > [“The core insight of modern liberalism is powerfully simple: we all benefit from a society that provides for the economic security and wellbeing of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-haney-l-pez/the-core-insight-of-modern-liberalism-is-powerfully-simple-we-all/) [Ian Haney López](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-haney-l-pez/) > [“Racial attacks on liberalism shifted the enemy of the middle class from big money to lazy minorities, and transmuted economic programs that helped to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-haney-l-pez/racial-attacks-on-liberalism-shifted-the-enemy-of-the-middle-class/) [Ian Haney López](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-haney-l-pez/) > [“Dog whistling comes out of the South and its preoccupation with blacks, but it always involved equal opportunity racism, and never more so than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-haney-l-pez/dog-whistling-comes-out-of-the-south-and-its-preoccupation-with/) [Ian Haney López](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-haney-l-pez/) > [“This is not to portray race as simply one among many issues, each with equal weight; instead, race has been the principal weapon in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-haney-l-pez/this-is-not-to-portray-race-as-simply-one-among-many-issues-each-with/) [Ian Haney López](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-haney-l-pez/) > [“In 1963, Robert Novak had written that many Republican leaders were intent on converting the Party of Lincoln into the White Man’s Party. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-haney-l-pez/in-1963-robert-novak-had-written-that-many-republican-leaders-were/) [Ian Haney López](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-haney-l-pez/) [Explore all 23 Ian Haney López quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-haney-l-pez/) ## More Illegal quotes > [It might interest you that just as the U.S. was ramping up its involvement in Vietnam, LBJ launched an illegal invasion of the Dominican…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/it-might-interest-you-that-just-as-the-u-s-was-ramping-up-its/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [I don't think marijuana should be illegal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/i-don-t-think-marijuana-should-be-illegal/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) > [ \[Could you show us how Lana Del Rey dances in a club?\] That would be illegal. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lana-del-rey/could-you-show-us-how-lana-del-rey-dances-in-a-club-that-would-be/) [Lana Del Rey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lana-del-rey/) > [Stupid is not illegal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-ramsey/stupid-is-not-illegal/) [Dave Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-ramsey/) > [The Chinese describe themselves as political refugees. Many base that claim on China's strict population laws, which allow them to have only one child.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-koch/the-chinese-describe-themselves-as-political-refugees-many-base-that/) [Ed Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-koch/) > [On March 12, 2004, acting attorney general James B. Comey and the Justice Department's top leadership reached the brink of resignation over electronic surveillance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barton-gellman/on-march-12-2004-acting-attorney-general-james-b-comey-and-the/) [Barton Gellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barton-gellman/) > [Even the Supreme Court, back when it used to makes sense, the Supreme Court has never ruled that a baby born to illegal aliens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/even-the-supreme-court-back-when-it-used-to-makes-sense-the-supreme/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I think we have two conflicting traditions in this country. I think it's important for us to recognize that we've got a tradition of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-we-have-two-conflicting-traditions-in-this-country-i-think-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ Before the Freedom of Information Act, I used to say at meetings "The illegal we do immediately. The unconstitutional takes a little longer." \[...\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/before-the-freedom-of-information-act-i-used-to-say-at-meetings-the/) [Henry A. 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