This Lawmaker Wants to Remove the Words Illegal Alien From the Law

Susan Lontine, a Democratic state representative in Colorado, knows well how some use the term “illegal alien” to disparage migrants. Her district in Denver contains many immigrant communities, and she recoils when she hears President Trump use the term in speeches or catches conservative colleagues uttering it in Statehouse hallways. What Ms. Lontine did not know, however, was that for more than 13 years, the words have also resided in an arcane section of the Colorado state code about who can work on public projects. A friend recently came across the language while training for her job with the City of Denver.