I watched a discussion on a news program the other day that focused on illegal immigration. I noticed that during the discussion the people on the panel who were against strengthening our borders always referred to the illegal aliens as "undocumented workers."

The Orwellian double-speak they engaged in is an example of why it is so hard to formulate a comprehensive public policy on the issue of border security. You cannot formulate a policy when half of the people engaged in doing so refuse to recognize facts central to the issue.

The opponents of a strong border with Mexico who use the term undocumented workers make some assumptions about the people they're talking about and applying those assumptions to all people in the group, even those who don't really belong. While the vast majority of the people who cross the border get jobs, there is a minority who don't and the loose border crowd ignore them.

This minority causes much damage each year. The costs include the actual damage inflicted plus the cost of recovering from the damage and the cost of law enforcement resources to try to locate the miscreants as well as the cost of incarcerating them once apprehended.

Another group is comprised of those who seek medical services or other benefits derived merely by being present in the country -- such as a woman giving birth to a United States citizen even though the mother is in the country illegally.

All of them are illegal immigrants, no matter what their motivation is. Anyone who ignores this fact misleads themselves as well as everyone they discuss the matter with.

Another reason to tighten the border is to restrict illegal drugs from entering the country. With a porous border smugglers find it easy to sneak their pernicious cargo into the country. With a tighter border it would be harder and more costly for the smugglers who might be inclined to find an occupation less hazardous to their continued freedom.

In order for a discussion to be productive both sides need to use language that is as precise as possible to avoid misunderstanding.

Calling an illegal alien an "undocumented worker" makes it sound like someone who has mislaid their social security card, not performed an act that is against the law. Shakespeare once said that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. The corollary is that no matter how much perfume you pour on a pile of manure it is still something to avoid stepping in.

Those who love to use Orwellian doublespeak seem to think that by renaming illegal behavior it somehow makes it legal.