美国国家公共电台 NPR--Migrants crossing the border illegally has slowed, but there are still issues

Migrants crossing the border illegally has slowed, but there are still issues

Transcript¹

NPR's Michel Martin talks to Democratic Rep. Veronica Escobar of Texas, who represents the 16th Congressional District in El Paso, about U.S.- Mexico border concerns and immigration reform.

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

The Border Patrol says the number of people intercepted³ while trying to cross from Mexico into the U.S. without authorization⁴ has dropped by as much as 70% since the end of the pandemic-era restrictions⁵ known as Title 42. That means the policy reverted⁶ back to earlier rules, Title 8, so migrants deported⁷ after crossing the border are banned for five years from entering the U.S. again. And the Biden administration imposed new rules denying asylum⁸ to people who don't apply for protection in another country first. Democratic Representative Veronica Escobar's district, which includes El Paso, Texas, is on the front lines of this. So we called her to get her perspective on how things are going now.

Congresswoman, thanks so much for joining us.

VERONICA ESCOBAR: Good morning, Michel. Thank you so much for the opportunity.

MARTIN: So you and other officials have made it clear that it has been a struggle to accommodate all the people coming across the border. So I know you've just been back home. What's the situation like in El Paso right now? Are there enough shelters and other resources?

ESCOBAR: We do - we are doing well right now in El Paso. We are - the - as you mentioned, the numbers of migrants who are turning themselves into Border Patrol - those numbers are way down. But in a different part of the sector⁹, which is in New Mexico, those folks - folks in that area are still seeing apprehensions¹⁰. And in El Paso, we - what we do is we help facilitate movement to other communities. We find out where the migrants want to go, where their sponsors live, and we help them get to those final destinations. In the final destinations in communities like New York City, like Chicago, other areas, that is the landing spot. And so those communities really are shouldering that latter part of the burden, which is receiving them permanently¹¹.

MARTIN: So about that, I wanted to ask you about something. We keep learning about people being transported from southern border crossings and dropped other places. Like, for example, there are 16 people from Venezuela and Colombia who were flown to California by chartered plane, and they were dropped off on Friday outside a church in Sacramento. Like, what's your take on this? Is that part of that sort of planned process you're talking about, or is that something else?

ESCOBAR: No. That's not part of the community hospitality that communities like El Paso, Brownsville and other communities work on with receiving communities and receiving NGOs. This is something completely different. I suspect it's one of the red state mayors - whether it is Greg Abbott, whether it is Ron DeSantis or whether it is an unknown entity¹² right now...

MARTIN: OK.

ESCOBAR: ...But these migrants - obviously, the 16 you're referencing - are victims of someone who is trying to use them as a...

MARTIN: OK.

ESCOBAR: ...Political tool.

MARTIN: OK. Those would be governors. So the Biden administration's new measures require non-Mexican asylum seekers to show proof that they were denied asylum in another country first. It's being challenged in court by the ACLU. Where do you stand on this so-called third-country asylum?

ESCOBAR: Well, I'm not a fan. But what I recognize as a member of Congress is that the administration is using very limited, very few tools at its disposal in order to try to manage a process that should be managed by Congress, by legislative¹³ action. So it really is on Congress to do something, especially those of us who are not happy with some of the proposals that we've seen recently or in the past.

MARTIN: We'll talk about that then for a minute. You led a bipartisan group in February to El Paso. What progress are you making toward developing a bipartisan approach to some kind of long-term solution, which is clearly what you're talking about here?

ESCOBAR: You're right. I have been leading members to Congress - from Congress to El Paso really since 2019, since I was first elected. But we recently had a wonderful breakthrough. We - my colleague, Maria Elvira Salazar from Florida - she and I introduced a bipartisan bill, the Dignity Act, for Republicans, for Democrats¹⁴, and it is a real compromise. It is a solution to many of the challenges that we've been seeing not just on the border, but in communities like New York and in countries south of us. It offers regularized status and opens up legal pathways and just really reforms an outdated¹⁵ system. I'm very proud of the work. And what we're trying to do now is really get more co-sponsors.

MARTIN: Before we let you go, as briefly¹⁶ as you can, a judge in your state of Texas is challenging the Deferred¹⁷ Action for Childhood Arrival program, DACA. You know, hundreds of thousands of people who were brought to this country as children are at risk of having their deferred status revoked¹⁸. Does your plan include protections for them?

ESCOBAR: It does.

MARTIN: That is Congresswoman Veronica Escobar of Texas. She's a Democrat².

Thank you so much for talking to us.

ESCOBAR: Thank you.

(SOUNDBITE OF TESK'S "ORBIT")

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 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。

3 intercepted   

拦截( intercept的过去式和过去分词 )； 截住； 截击； 拦阻

参考例句：

• Reporters intercepted him as he tried to leave the hotel. 他正要离开旅馆，记者们把他拦截住了。
• Reporters intercepted him as he tried to leave by the rear entrance. 他想从后门溜走，记者把他截住了。

4 authorization   

n.授权，委任状

参考例句：

• Anglers are required to obtain prior authorization from the park keeper.垂钓者必须事先得到公园管理者的许可。
• You cannot take a day off without authorization.未经批准你不得休假。

5 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

6 reverted   

恢复( revert的过去式和过去分词 )； 重提； 回到…上； 归还

参考例句：

• After the settlers left, the area reverted to desert. 早期移民离开之后，这个地区又变成了一片沙漠。
• After his death the house reverted to its original owner. 他死后房子归还给了原先的主人。

7 deported   

v.将…驱逐出境( deport的过去式和过去分词 )；举止

参考例句：

• They stripped me of my citizenship and deported me. 他们剥夺我的公民资格，将我驱逐出境。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The convicts were deported to a deserted island. 罪犯们被流放到一个荒岛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

9 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

10 apprehensions   

疑惧

参考例句：

• He stood in a mixture of desire and apprehensions. 他怀着渴望和恐惧交加的心情伫立着。
• But subsequent cases have removed many of these apprehensions. 然而，随后的案例又消除了许多类似的忧虑。

11 permanently   

adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地

参考例句：

• The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。

12 entity   

n.实体，独立存在体，实际存在物

参考例句：

• The country is no longer one political entity.这个国家不再是一个统一的政治实体了。
• As a separate legal entity,the corporation must pay taxes.作为一个独立的法律实体，公司必须纳税。

13 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

14 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》

15 outdated   

adj.旧式的，落伍的，过时的；v.使过时

参考例句：

• That list of addresses is outdated,many have changed.那个通讯录已经没用了，许多地址已经改了。
• Many of us conform to the outdated customs laid down by our forebears.我们许多人都遵循祖先立下的过时习俗。

16 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

17 deferred   

adj.延期的，缓召的v.拖延，延缓，推迟( defer的过去式和过去分词 )；服从某人的意愿，遵从

参考例句：

• The department deferred the decision for six months. 这个部门推迟了六个月才作决定。
• a tax-deferred savings plan 延税储蓄计划

18 revoked   

adj.[法]取消的v.撤销，取消，废除( revoke的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• It may be revoked if the check is later dishonoured. 以后如支票被拒绝支付，结算可以撤销。 来自辞典例句
• A will is revoked expressly. 遗嘱可以通过明示推翻。 来自辞典例句