(1010 WINS) – Residents of New York City who use terms like “illegal alien” could face a quarter-million-dollar fine, officials say.
The city’s Commission on Human Rights announced late last week that people who use such terms “with intent to demean, humiliate or harass a person” or who harass someone with “limited English proficiency” may be fined up to $250,000.
"Threatening to call ICE when motivated by discrimination, derogatory use of the term 'illegal alien,' and discrimination based on limited English proficiency are unlawful discriminatory treatment under the NYC Human Rights Law," the commission said.
Telling someone to "speak English" or "go back to your country" is also a violation, according to the new guidance.
"Fines of up to $250,000 can be assessed for each act of willful discrimination," the commission says.