美国国家公共电台 NPR--Congressional lawmakers raise concerns about the welfare of migrant children

Congressional lawmakers raise concerns about the welfare of migrant children

Transcript¹

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill want to know why so many migrant children are reportedly being exploited. House hearings are part of a government strategy to investigate child labor².

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

Images of kids sleeping in small cells in overcrowded facilities gained international attention in recent years, as record numbers of unaccompanied children crossed the southern border. Now, to fix this, government officials work with sponsors to house them as they make their way through the immigration system, but the thing is, that system is under scrutiny³. Reports show the government lost track of 85,000 migrant children, and some of those children may have been forced into labor in the U.S. Hearings this week are expected to be part of a series of congressional efforts investigating this issue. Joining us now is NPR congressional correspondent Claudia Grisales. So what concerns did lawmakers raise about the vetting⁴ process that puts these minors⁵ with sponsors here in the U.S.?

CLAUDIA GRISALES, BYLINE⁶: Right. Republican Glenn Grothman - he chairs a House oversight⁷ subcommittee - says that while it is the responsibility of this program under the Health and Human Services Department to place these child migrants in the care of sponsors, there are concerns that these children were released in, quote, "assembly line" speed to poorly vetted⁸ sponsors instead. The director of this program, which is called the Office of Refugee Resettlement, defended the agency's actions, saying recently that the vast majority of the unaccompanied minors in their care were placed with a close family member. But lawmakers said that was not enough to ensure their safety.

MART?NEZ: Yeah, and meanwhile, The New York Times cited significant cases of kids who disappeared and became victims of child labor. So how did the director respond to that reporting?

GRISALES: Right. This director, Robin⁹ Dunn Marcos, said that they need Congress' help to address this problem. She said they are not equipped to track these children after they are placed in new homes and need funding.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

ROBIN DUNN MARCOS: I think continued support in expanding post-release services and legal services are critical to providing care for these children.

GRISALES: Several Republicans, however, kept highlighting this figure you mentioned, which was reported by The New York Times, that this program lost track of 85,000 children in the first two years of the Biden administration.

MART?NEZ: And what are they saying?

GRISALES: The White House said yesterday through press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre that this is unacceptable, and they are calling on Congress to make fixes. The House oversight subpanel's top Democrat¹⁰, Robert Garcia, touched on what that could look like.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

ROBERT GARCIA: We also need to have a serious conversation about how we make sure that we're fully¹¹ enforcing our labor laws and holding corporations accountable when they knowingly and illegally profit from child labor. So I personally support legislation to crack down on these unethical employers.

GRISALES: Democrats¹² also defended the role of the Biden White House, saying it's been a difficult transition from how migrant children were treated under the previous Trump¹³ administration, where we saw these images of children being held in these fenced-off areas.

MART?NEZ: And I know these hearings are very politicized, often politicized, but we're talking about kids working dangerous jobs in some cases. I mean, is there any bipartisan solutions being offered at this point for this problem?

GRISALES: Not at this point. It's going to be a really, really tall order for Congress. Republicans say that a crackdown on border security is the answer here. And several noted¹⁴ that the House Judiciary Committee will now begin work on a GOP border security bill, but we do not expect that to go far with a Democratic-controlled Senate and White House. House Democrats are asking for a bipartisan solution, but that's going to be really difficult for Congress to get on the same page here.

MART?NEZ: NPR's Claudia Grisales. Thanks a lot.

GRISALES: Thank you much.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

3 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

4 vetting   

n.数据检查[核对，核实]v.审查（某人过去的记录、资格等）( vet的现在分词 )；调查；检查；诊疗

参考例句：

• Scripts had to be submitted to Ministry of Information officials for vetting. 必须把脚本提交给信息部官员审查。 来自互联网
• Their purpose in clicking deeper into a site is one of vetting. 他们深入点击网站的目的是一种诊疗。 来自互联网

5 minors   

n.未成年人( minor的名词复数 )；副修科目；小公司；[逻辑学]小前提v.[主美国英语]副修，选修，兼修( minor的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The law forbids shops to sell alcohol to minors. 法律禁止商店向未成年者出售含酒精的饮料。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He had three minors this semester. 这学期他有三门副修科目。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

7 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

8 vetted   

v.审查（某人过去的记录、资格等）( vet的过去式和过去分词 )；调查；检查；诊疗

参考例句：

• The recruits were thoroughly vetted before they were allowed into the secret service. 情报机关招募的新成员要经过严格的审查。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All staff are vetted for links with extremist groups before being employed. 所有职员录用前均须审查是否与极端分子团体有关。 来自辞典例句

9 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

10 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

11 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

12 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

14 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。