illegal alien

Somebody the department of immigration and naturalization (migras) would like to pounce on because they are have entered and are living in a country without official permission. This means they have no green card.

Someone who must be present in order for fruits and vegetables to get to the grocery store; a worker that can be easily abused because they are unable to turn to law enforcement for help.

A rude term describing a fellow earthling who happens to have citizenship in a foreign country (the boundaries of which are arbitrary), and is visiting or living the U.S.A. (the boundaries of which are arbitrary) without benefit of green paper.

Both writeups above seem to leave aside an important category: temporary (non-immigrant) visitors and workers from a foreign country. A non-immigrant worker myself, I noticed this trend among many Americans; I tell them that I don't have a green card, and they usually reply "ah, so you are an illegal alien!"; some shy away, because they don't want to get arrested for aiding and abetting, or for some other equally stupid reason.

The fact is, (leaving the rudeness of "alien" apart), I am a legal alien. My visa will expire three years from now; if I get a green card by that time, great. If not, I intend to obey the law... When my mother visits me, she has a visitor's visa, which gives her legal permission to stay in the United States for up to six months. An international student has a student's visa, and is legally in the United States for the duration of his studies. (Although his/her employment eligibility is limited)

I just thought I'd try to set the record straight...

HUDSON "Someone said aliens, she thought they said `illegal aliens' and signed up..."

A line from the movie Aliens. The joke by Bill Paxton's character was actually an inside joke on the set. Actress Jenette Goldstein, who played PFC Vasquez in the movie, showed up for the audition dressed as a Mexican immigrant, having misunderstood the movie's subject matter.