Tipsheet

NYC Bans Use of Term 'Illegal Alien'...And The Fine Could Be Outrageous

Leah Barkoukis
Leah Barkoukis  |  October 02, 2019 3:00 PM

New York City has banned the terms “illegal alien” and “illegal” when they’re used with “intent to demean, humiliate or harass a person … in the workplace.”

Doing so would be considered “unlawful discrimination,” according to the New York City Commission on Human Rights.

The 29 pages of new guidelines, which were released Sept. 25, also include prohibitions against discriminatory behavior towards “someone because of their accent, English proficiency, or use of another language” and threatening to call ICE on someone. 

"A family of mixed immigration status lives in an apartment unit. The new tenants next door to them repeatedly bang on their door and wave a baseball bat at them while screaming discriminatory comments about their culture and threatening to call ICE," one example states.

Those who violate the law can be fined up to $250,000. 

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“We take immense pride in our city’s diversity and the immigrant communities that call New York City home,” Deputy Mayor Phil Thompson said in a statement. “This new legal enforcement guidance will help ensure that no New Yorker is discriminated against based on their immigration status or national origin." 

Social media users were quick to point out how absurd the new rules are.