When Status Becomes Species: “Illegal Alien” and the Dehumanizing Shift Towards Genocide

The 10 stages of genocide by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust is a model used to depict signs of genocide and spread awareness. On a busy evening of December 3, 2025, the Trump administration launched a major immigration raid operation in New Orleans and surrounding areas, called “Catahoula Crunch”. Launched by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), it focused on arresting “Illegal Aliens” who have committed crimes, using heavily armed federal agents to violently detain immigrants. 

In Kenner, LA, the agents from US Border Patrol coaxed a Latino male down from the roof of a house, and detained him. The agents did not have a search warrant, nor his immigration status, meaning they detained an innocent person without any particular suspicions. The Department of Homeland Security claims the operation targets undocumented migrants with criminal allegations, calling them the “worst of the worst.” They claim dozens with criminal records have been arrested and aim for up to 5,000 arrests. However, leaked figures from a prior city show that most people arrested in similar operations had no criminal record, showing insincerity in their claims.

The larger problem appears in the bigger picture. Incidents like this, where the Trump administration targets immigrants it labels “Illegal Aliens” show the resemblance in past genocides such as the Holocaust, Armenian Genocide, and Rwandan Genocide, just in an earlier stage.

Genocides typically started from the earliest stages: classification, symbolization, and discrimination. For example, in the early 1930s, the Nazi party classified themselves as “Aryans” and discriminated against "Jews”. Then, as time passed, they started dehumanizing The Jews, calling them vermin, parasites, and disease. Today, critics argue that when the Trump administration labels immigrants as “illegal aliens,” it echoes the same pattern of defining a group as fundamentally different and less deserving of basic human respect.

Supporters of raids like Catahoula Crunch often justify this classification with familiar claims. They claim that undocumented immigrants are “taking our jobs” and lowering wages, that they bring crime and make communities feel unsafe, or that they overuse schools, hospitals, and welfare programs. Others insist that “immigrants ‘refuse to assimilate’ and threaten American culture.” A common argument is that because migrants “broke the law”, they deserve whatever treatment they receive. Some officials go even further and insist that terms like “illegal alien” are simply neutral language, not a form of  classification.

These are not new ideas. In nearly every major genocide, targeted groups were first depicted as economic burdens or security threats. In Nazi Germany, Jews were actively being blamed for the economic problems and portrayed as dangerous outsiders even as their own jobs and properties were taken away. In Rwanda, Tutsis were framed as an “enemy within” that needed to be dealt with for national safety. Once a targeted group is constantly described as criminals, parasites, or an invader, harsher actions begin to feel not only acceptable, but also necessary.

None of this means that the United States is committing genocide against immigrants, but the “ten stages of genocide” model exists precisely to warn societies when they are shifting towards a dangerous path. When a government labels millions of people “illegal aliens,” sends heavily armed agents, and justifies it with a vague responce, it is engaging in the very early stages of genocide: classification, discrimination, and dehumanization. History shows that these stages are the easiest to confront before they escalate, which makes it crucial for citizens, communities, and governments to recognize the signs now and challenge policies that strip people of their humanity before it is too late.