CNN 2012-06-24

 Well, we begin tonight "Keeping Them Honest" with a major change in immigration policy, the decision to stop deporting¹ some young immigrants who came to the United States as kids, some of them as infants, long before they even knew what immigrant meant. And the Obama administration announced today that it will stop deporting people younger than 30 who came to the United States before they turned 16 as long as they have clean records and were successful students or served in the military. Those young people can apply for a two-year deferral² for deportation³ and if they're accepted they can now have the chance to work legally in the United States. Now in a speech at the White House today, the president said it's a step towards lifting the shadow of deportation from young people who are Americans in every way except on paper. 

 

This is not amnesty. This is not immunity⁴. This is not a path to citizenship⁵. It's not a permanent fix. This is a temporary stopgap measure that lets us focus our resources wisely while giving a degree of relief and hope to talented, driven, patriotic⁶ young people. It is the right thing to do. 

 

Well, there was swift reaction from the Republicans. We want to tell you about that in a moment. But we want to show you some heated reaction that came before the president's speech was even over. A reporter from the conservative Web site "The Daily Caller" yelled out some questions along the lines of what about American workers who are unemployed⁷ while you employ foreigners? He was yelling these things while the president was still speaking. Take a look. 

 

It is the right thing to do. 

 

... foreigners over American workers? 

 

Excuse me, sir, it is not the time for questions, sir. 

 

Are you going to take questions? 

 

Not while I'm speaking. 

 

And the answer to your question, sir -- and the next time I prefer you let me finish my statements before you ask that question -- is this is the right thing to do for the American people. They did, I didn't, I didn't ask for an argument. I'm answering your question. 

 

That reporter, Neil Munro, says he didn't have any intention of interrupting the president, that he thought the speech was wrapping. He also told CNN that he has to quote, "ask the questions you all won't ask." So do with that what you will. Meanwhile, one of the more temperament⁸ responses to the president's speech actually came from Mitt⁹ Romney today. Listen. 

 

I believe the status of young people who come here through no fault of their own is an important matter to be considered and should be solved on a long-term basis, so they know what their future would be in this country. I think the action that the president took today makes it more difficult to reach that long-term solution, because an executive order is, of course, just a short-term matter. It can be reversed by subsequent presidents. 

 

Well, just for the record, the change is actually not coming from an executive order, but a change in Department of Homeland Security policy. Still, Romney's point that it's a temporary solution, that is accurate. And it's something President Obama himself actually acknowledged today and something that Senator Marco Rubio of Florida criticized as well today. 

 

He said and I quote, "Today's announcement will be welcome news for many of these kids desperate for an answer, but it is a short-term answer to a long-term problem. And by once again ignoring the Constitution and going around Congress, this short-term policy will make it harder to find a balanced and responsible long-term one, also a pretty measured response when you take a look at some of the reaction from other Republicans today. Some say they're worried about rampant¹⁰ fraud. From Congressman¹¹ Lamar Smith of Texas quote, "Many illegal immigrants will falsely claim they came here as children. And the federal government has no way to check whether their claims are true." Others insist it's an issue for lawmakers to decide. Senator Lindsey Graham tweeted quote,"President Obama's attempt to go around Congress and the American people is at best unwise and possibly illegal." Congressman Steve King of Iowa went even further saying he plans to sue the Obama administration, saying quote, "This is no longer a debate about immigration policy. The debate is now about the Constitution and the rule of law. I'm preparing to bring suit against the president and ask for a court to enjoin¹² him from implementing¹³ his unconstitutional and unlawful policy." Now, the president repeatedly has called for Congress to pass immigration reform legislation. And again today, he called on lawmakers to pass the DREAM Act which would put into law steps for children of illegal immigrants to continue to live and work in the United States. Today's policy change accomplishes that goal at least temporarily. But "Keeping Them Honest," we should point out there was a time not too long ago when President Obama said the onus¹⁴ fell squarely on Congress' shoulders. In fact, he said that he couldn't just decide to make the change and he was obligated to enforce the laws that existed. Listen to what he told a town hall type gathering¹⁵ broadcast on Univision in March last year. 

 

The notion that I can just suspend deportations through executive order, that's just not the case. There are enough laws on the books by Congress that are very clear in terms of how we have to enforce our immigration system that for me to simply through executive order ignore those congressional mandates¹⁶ would not conform with my appropriate role as president. 

 

As we said, today's change is not an executive order. But in that club, the president did say it wouldn't be appropriate to ignore mandates from Congress.

1 deporting   

v.将…驱逐出境( deport的现在分词 )；举止

参考例句：

2 deferral   

n.延期，缓役

参考例句：

• It also calls for the deferral of a share of bonuses. 协议还要求一部分奖金延期发放。 来自互联网
• Even implementing the interest-deferral scheme for homeowners has proved inconveniently tricky. 甚至是对房主实行的推迟利息的方案，结果证明也是极不方便的。 来自互联网

3 deportation   

n.驱逐，放逐

参考例句：

• The government issued a deportation order against the four men.政府发出了对那4名男子的驱逐令。
• Years ago convicted criminals in England could face deportation to Australia.很多年以前，英国已定罪的犯人可能被驱逐到澳大利亚。

4 immunity   

n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权

参考例句：

• The law gives public schools immunity from taxation.法律免除公立学校的纳税义务。
• He claims diplomatic immunity to avoid being arrested.他要求外交豁免以便避免被捕。

5 citizenship   

n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份)

参考例句：

• He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
• Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。

6 patriotic   

adj.爱国的，有爱国心的

参考例句：

• His speech was full of patriotic sentiments.他的演说充满了爱国之情。
• The old man is a patriotic overseas Chinese.这位老人是一位爱国华侨。

7 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

8 temperament   

n.气质，性格，性情

参考例句：

• The analysis of what kind of temperament you possess is vital.分析一下你有什么样的气质是十分重要的。
• Success often depends on temperament.成功常常取决于一个人的性格。

9 mitt   

n.棒球手套，拳击手套，无指手套；vt.铐住，握手

参考例句：

• I gave him a baseball mitt for his birthday.为祝贺他的生日，我送给他一只棒球手套。
• Tom squeezed a mitt and a glove into the bag.汤姆把棒球手套和手套都塞进袋子里。

10 rampant   

adj.(植物)蔓生的；狂暴的，无约束的

参考例句：

• Sickness was rampant in the area.该地区疾病蔓延。
• You cannot allow children to rampant through the museum.你不能任由小孩子在博物馆里乱跑。

11 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

12 enjoin   

v.命令；吩咐；禁止

参考例句：

• He enjoined obedience on the soldiers.他命令士兵服从。
• The judge enjoined him from selling alcohol.法官禁止他卖酒。

13 implementing   

v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句

14 onus   

n.负担；责任

参考例句：

• The onus is on government departments to show cause why information cannot bedisclosed.政府部门有责任说明不能把信息公开的理由。
• The onus of proof lies with you.你有责任提供证据。

15 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

16 mandates   

托管（mandate的第三人称单数形式）

参考例句：

• Individual mandates would require all people to purchase health insurance. 个人托管要求所有人都要购买健康保险。
• While I agree with those benefits, I'm not a supporter of mandates. 我同意上述好处，我不是授权软件的支持者。