Trying to twist the facts and using misleading data during a House Oversight Committee hearing on deportations, which have been caused by the lack of will power from House Republicans to pass comprehensive immigration reform, Trump Republican John Mica used the derogatory term: “illegal aliens.” Almost half of Latinos voters find “illegal alien” offensive when describing undocumented immigrants.
Even Republican leaders have warned their own party about the repercussion of using this derogatory term against Latinos, but apparently John Mica missed that memo, especially when his own district is becoming more diverse and where Latinos are becoming a major political force.
“With all due respect, Congressman John Mica, but no human being is illegal. Mica wants to twist the facts on deportations just to score cheap political points with Trump supporters on the back of those trapped in a broken immigration system caused by House Republicans,” said Javier Gamboa of the DCCC . “ Racist dog-whistles by House Republicans are the reason Donald Trump has made it this far in the Republican primary. Latinos know that this derogatory term has no place in Central Florida. We are paying attention and will make our voices heard at the ballot box.”
BACKGROUND ON THE DEROGATORY TERM “ILLEGAL ALIEN”:
LA Times: Gov. Brown doesn’t want California to use this word for immigrants
The bill banning “alien” is needed to modernize state labor law, in the same way many newspapers have stopped using the term “illegal alien,” said state Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia), author of the bill. “Alien is now commonly considered a derogatory term for a foreign-born person and has very negative connotations,” Mendoza said.
CNN: Why ‘illegal immigrant’ is a slur
The term “illegal immigrant” was first used in 1939 as a slur by the British toward Jews who were fleeing the Nazis and entering Palestine without authorization. Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel aptly said that “no human being is illegal.”
BACKGROUND ON JOHN MICA’S ANTI IMMIGRANT SENTIMENTS:
Also Complained About The Impact Of “These Deluges Of Illegal ,And … Semilegal, Immigrants In Florida.” “My State, in fact, has seen the impact of these deluges of illegal, and I call them semilegal, immigrants in Florida. Our hospitals and jails and schools are filled to capacity, and our social services taxed and impacted.” [House of Representatives Transcript, 9/24/96]
Said “People Who Come Here Illegally Should Not Have Any Rights, Any Benefits, And Should Not Be Entitled To Get In Front Of The Line.” “When you allow people to come in illegally, and then provide a pathway to citizenship to those that violate the law, it’s not right. … People who come here illegally should not have any rights, any benefits, and should not be entitled to get in front of the line.” [YouTube, 6/07/15]