I think the other child comment here shoots himself in the foot by resorting to the very weak argument “guess we can’t say anything anymore”.

A stronger argument would be like: what about the terms criminal, convict, or even lawyer, doctor? Is it not just as referential to a person’s being to call them by their status or trade or any number of properties?

I happen to have loved several illegal immigrants who are close to my family. I don’t think badly of them or their being. But illegal immigrant is a factual description of what they are.