DHS Corrects Newspapers Using ‘Undocumented Immigrants’ in Headlines

Brett T. | 11:10 PM on August 20, 2025

We'll sometimes do posts on style guides, which lay out rules for journalists on things like how to spell certain words (e.g., Koran vs. Quran), how to punctuate, and what to capitalize (such as Black vs. white — that was some convoluted logic behind that decision). Another example is the use of the word legally correct "alien" to describe someone in the country illegally. The Associated Press Stylebook and other guides would prefer you to use "undocumented immigrants."

The Department of Homeland Security has released its own style guide, correcting headline writers who use "undocumented" when they mean illegal.

“Undocumented immigrant” is the immigration equivalent of “they/them.”

DHS has no interest in the left’s open borders pronouns. “Alien” is the technical legal term, and that is what DHS will use. “Illegal” is the only way to correctly describe lawbreakers.

Next thing you know… pic.twitter.com/MKEe1Z0oA3
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) August 20, 2025

Next thing you know you will be calling burglars “undocumented houseguests.”

Based.

It really is Based Department.
— Daily Gondor 📰 (@DailyGondor) August 20, 2025

Accurate
— Patty Free (@pattymaese8) August 20, 2025

ILLEGAL means not legal.
Not difficult to understand.
— NaTaS X (@Jenkins675) August 20, 2025

Finally!! Some sanity returns to our language!! A very welcome change.
— LarsKerch (@LJKerch) August 20, 2025

You know that the press will still use undocumented immigrants and undocumented workers.

Yes, language should be used precisely to establish law and order.
— Suasion Studies (@SuasionStudies) August 20, 2025

Referring to an illegal alien as and undocumented migrant is like calling a drug dealer and undocumented pharmacist.
— BelannF (@BelannF) August 20, 2025

Yes!! I voted for this. pic.twitter.com/oeSb2wF21X
— Raven's Nest (@RavensNest1776) August 20, 2025

The most BASED statement ever released by the federal government 🔥🔥🔥
— Johnny Patriot (@Johnnypatriot26) August 20, 2025

Remember when President Joe Biden went on MSNBC to apologize for calling Laken Riley's killer an illegal immigrant? He was worried about the feelings of a murderer. "I'm not gonna treat any of these people with disrespect," Biden told MSNBC. "They built this country." (He also referred to illegal aliens as "model citizens.")

Finally—DHS using plain language instead of activist code words. “Illegal alien” is the law, not a pronoun preference.
— JBR V (@JohnBReilyV) August 20, 2025

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