Source
Immigrant Defense Project
About
The Immigrant Defense Project (IDP) is a U.S. legal-advocacy organization working at the intersection of the immigration and criminal legal systems: defending the rights of immigrants facing detention and deportation, especially where policing and incarceration co-mingle with immigration enforcement. (This description draws on IDP’s own website rather than an independent encyclopedic source: see data note below.)
The commons cites IDP’s journalist guidance in two editions, both “Prepared by the Comm/Unity Network”: the July 2020 first edition, Journalist Style Guide: Covering Immigrants with Convictions, and the expanded Comm/Unity Style Guide that succeeded it. They are primary sources for the Immigration & Citizenship chapter, behind terms such as undocumented immigrant, illegal immigrant, and illegal alien.
Data note: this page’s frontmatter records the work as “Comm/Unity Style Guide R4 (2021),” but the archived PDF’s title page reads “Reporting at the intersection of immigration, policing, and incarceration: Third Edition • March 2022.” The edition label and year in this page’s metadata should be reconciled with the archived PDF.
Access
The two editions have different access status. The later Comm/Unity Style Guide remains live on IDP’s site (host posture private-mirror-link-out, linked above), while the 2020 first edition’s original URL now 404s and survives as an archived orphan copy held with attribution. Quotes are held within fair-use limits.
Works reviewed
Comm/Unity Style Guide R4
Reference copy heldJournalist Style Guide
Reference copy heldTerms citing this source
- AlienAvoid
“PROBLEMATIC TERM: “Criminal alien.” “Alien” is an offensive term; and together, these two words risk sensationalizing the issue. ALTERNATIVES: Formerly incarcerated immigrant, Person with a criminal record.”
: Problematic Terms to Reconsider chart, p. 6
- AlienAvoid
“PROBLEMATIC TERM: “Criminal alien.” “Alien” is an offensive term; and together, these two words risk sensationalizing the issue. ALTERNATIVES: Formerly incarcerated immigrant, Person with a criminal record.”
: Problematic Terms to Reconsider chart, Comm/Unity Style Guide R4
- ConvictAvoid
““Felon;” “convict;” “ex-con;” “offender” … As health experts have noted, this carries a significant amount of stigma. These terms may paint an overly simplistic picture to readers. … Alternatives: Person with a felony conviction.”
: Problematic Terms to Reconsider chart, IDP Journalist Style Guide (2020)
- ConvictAvoid
““Felon;” “convict;” “ex-con;” “offender” … As health experts have noted, this carries a significant amount of stigma. These terms may paint an overly simplistic picture to readers. … Alternatives: Person with a felony conviction.”
: Problematic Terms to Reconsider chart, Comm/Unity Style Guide R4 (2021)
- FelonAvoid
““Felon;” “convict;” “ex-con;” “offender” … As health experts have noted, this carries a significant amount of stigma. These terms may paint an overly simplistic picture to readers. … Alternatives: Person with a felony conviction.”
: Problematic Terms to Reconsider chart, IDP Journalist Style Guide (2020)
- FelonAvoid
““Felon;” “convict;” “ex-con;” “offender” … As health experts have noted, this carries a significant amount of stigma. These terms may paint an overly simplistic picture to readers. … Alternatives: Person with a felony conviction.”
: Problematic Terms to Reconsider chart, Comm/Unity Style Guide R4 (2021)
- Illegal ImmigrantAvoid
“PROBLEMATIC TERM: “Illegal immigrant.” This term ignores the complexities of immigration status and has been widely rejected by news organizations over the last several years. ALTERNATIVES: Undocumented immigrant, Immigrant without current status.”
: Problematic Terms to Reconsider chart, p. 6
- Illegal ImmigrantAvoid
“PROBLEMATIC TERM: “Illegal immigrant.” This term ignores the complexities of immigration status and has been widely rejected by news organizations over the last several years.”
: Problematic Terms to Reconsider chart, Comm/Unity Style Guide R4
- OffenderAvoid
““Felon;” “convict;” “ex-con;” “offender” … As health experts have noted, this carries a significant amount of stigma. These terms may paint an overly simplistic picture to readers. … Alternatives: Person with a felony conviction.”
: Problematic Terms to Reconsider chart, IDP Journalist Style Guide (2020)
- OffenderAvoid
““Felon;” “convict;” “ex-con;” “offender” … As health experts have noted, this carries a significant amount of stigma. These terms may paint an overly simplistic picture to readers. … Alternatives: Person with a felony conviction.”
: Problematic Terms to Reconsider chart, Comm/Unity Style Guide R4 (2021)
- StereotypesAvoid
“A racial double-standard clearly exists in news coverage of high-profile shootings, with shooters who are white men often portrayed as "lone wolves" suffering from mental health issues, while coverage of people of color … frequently perpetuates harmful stereotypes and demonizes the entire community to which the person belongs.”
: Comm/Unity Style Guide, crime-coverage section
“PROBLEMATIC TERM: “Illegal immigrant.” … ALTERNATIVES: Undocumented immigrant, Immigrant without current status.”
: Problematic Terms to Reconsider chart, p. 6
“PROBLEMATIC TERM: “Illegal immigrant.” This term ignores the complexities of immigration status and has been widely rejected by news organizations over the last several years. ALTERNATIVES: Undocumented immigrant, Immigrant without current status.”
: Problematic Terms to Reconsider chart, Comm/Unity Style Guide R4