
President Joe Biden faced backlash from some allies after referring to the suspect in the killing of a Georgia nursing student as an 'illegal' during his State of the Union speech. The moment occurred as Biden pressed Republicans to pass a bipartisan border security deal that was opposed by former President Donald Trump.
While some Democrats supported Biden's stance on immigration issues compared to Trump, others criticized his use of the term 'illegal.' The term has become less common, especially among Democrats who have embraced immigrant rights' issues more fully during Trump's presidency.