CHANGE

California Deletes ‘Alien’ From Law

Latest advancement for undocumented residents.

California’s labor code no longer includes the word “alien” as part of an effort to give undocumented residents more rights under state law. Undocumented Californians are now eligible for in-state college tuition, driver’s licenses, Medicaid coverage for children, and limits on deportations. The removal of the term “alien”—considering by many to be a derogatory descriptor—was a largely symbolic move. “The reality is, despite the bills that we’ve done, there are as many as 3 million undocumented immigrants that still live in the shadows,” said Democratic Assemblyman Luis Alejo. “Their legal status as immigrants does not change—only Congress can do that.”