1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

Since I am one of your constituents, I am writing to request you be my voice in the government on the matter of immigration. I would like to see a change in the nomenclature used when discussing immigrants. Once someone is in the country it is very difficult to prove they entered without permission unless they are caught in the act. The act of entering, or reentering, without permission is a federal crime for which someone can be arrested, tried, and if convicted, sentenced to federal prison and deportation. The crime is the method of entry, not being here. Arrest the people who can be proven to have entered the country without permission and call it illegal entry. Stop referring to those people as illegal immigrants. The entry is the problem, not the person, the "immigrant". Once someone is here and planning to stay having come from another country they become an immigrant. They aren't breaking any laws by being here. Regardless of how they got here, whether it be sneaking across a border or overstaying a visa, being here is not a crime. It's a violation of a federal regulation, and actually no more "illegal" than cutting across a lawn instead of using the sidewalk. Referring to people as "illegal" anything, whether it be alien or immigrant, is wildly inappropriate. Is a baby "illegal" if the mother doesn't name the father, or if she puts it up for adoption? These people are unauthorized, not "illegal". Calling them "illegal" is a misleading shortcut with an emotional hook. People want something or someone "illegal" gone which lets them think it's ok to violate US law and human rights to get rid of illegals regardless of the consequences. Being unauthorized can't be used as an excuse for the excesses of ICE enforcement. The average citizen would be appalled and rebel against the ICE enforcement tactics if they knew the people IcE is targeting are "unauthorized" a clerical designation which could be corrected by someone with the authority "authorizing" them to be here washing dishes and picking lettuce. You have the ability to start and to encourage your fellow legislators to also use the correct terminology of unauthorized rather than illegal when referring to immigrants. Take the blinders off the public and let them see through the propaganda of using the word "illegal" to describe immigrants. Turn the immigrants back into people, into human beings rather than an amorphous blob of evil, of "illegals". Thank you for taking the time to read this letter to you can see and understand why I felt compelled to write to you asking you to be my voice. Being in Congress means the media will pay much more attention to you than they would me. You may refer to me by name if you so choose. I'm not afraid of Trump.