美国国家公共电台 NPR In Their Search For Asylum, Central Americans Find The U.S. Is Closing Its Doors

 

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Every year, thousands of immigrants come to the U.S.-Mexico border and request asylum¹. That means they're seeking safety from persecution² in their home countries. It is common for asylum-seekers to stay somewhere in the United States until their cases are decided³. To get asylum, they must show they're fleeing political persecution, not just economic trouble. Migration⁴ and human rights advocates insist that, in recent weeks, some asylum-seekers haven't even gotten the chance to make a case. Under President Trump⁵, some are discouraged or turned away. NPR's John Burnett has our story.

JOHN BURNETT, BYLINE⁶: Six times, Marco Antonio Cabachuela, his wife, Irma, and their 3-year-old, Valerie, walked up to blue-uniformed immigration officers at the Hidalgo, Texas, port of entry and asked for asylum. And every night, they came back to this immigrant shelter in Reynosa, Mexico, where men and women sit listlessly in a shady courtyard.

MARCO ANTONIO CABACHUELA: (Speaking Spanish).

BURNETT: "They rejected it," he says. "They said there was no room for us."

IRMA CABACHUELA: (Speaking Spanish).

BURNETT: Irma chimes in. "The last official told us they weren't processing asylum applicants⁹ anymore and not to return. If we didn't leave voluntarily, they would have us deported¹⁰ by Mexican immigration authorities."

Marco Antonio says he fled gangs in La Ceiba, Honduras, who were gunning for him because he had threatened to turn them in. And he has a bullet wound in his abdomen¹¹ to prove it. Shortly after this interview, a pro⁷ bono attorney accompanied the Cabachuela family to the international bridge, and they were finally permitted to apply for asylum on their seventh try.

In recent years, Central Americans have been surging across the southern border seeking refuge from marauding criminal gangs and, in the case of women, from abusive husbands. The number of Salvadorans, Guatemalans and Hondurans, mostly mothers and children, who were granted asylum jumped 400 percent between 2013 and 2015 to nearly 4,700. There are widespread reports that some U.S. officials at ports of entry, emboldened¹² by the new administration's tougher stance on immigration, are blocking asylum applicants. Sister Maria Nidelvia is director of Casa de Migrante in Reynosa, Mexico.

MARIA NIDELVIA: (Through interpreter) According to the testimony¹³ we hear from Central Americans, yes, they have had problems asking for humanitarian¹⁴ asylum at the bridge. They have been returned. It's stricter now, much more restricted.

BURNETT: Customs and Border Protection says it follows established procedures which, quote, "protect some of the world's most vulnerable and persecuted¹⁵ people." CBP says it does not tolerate any kind of abuse. But advocates who work with immigrants challenge the agency's assurance that its port officers are following asylum law.

In January, eight immigrants' rights organizations filed a formal complaint with the inspector¹⁶ general of the Homeland Security Department. The grievance¹⁷ alleges¹⁸ that CBP officers have been illegally turning away asylum-seekers for months now.

ELENA ALDERMAN: They are being told President Trump no longer wants immigrants. They are being told that there is no more asylum in United States, there's no more asylum specifically for mothers, which is a terrifying thing that I heard recently.

BURNETT: Elena Alderman works with CARA, a pro bono legal group that advises detained immigrants seeking asylum. She and other advocates have rented a ranch¹⁹ house in Dilley in South Texas to be closer to clients held in the nation's largest family detention²⁰ center. She says she has heard dozens of similar stories.

ALDERMAN: We are seeing the beginnings of the systematic²¹ denials of asylum-seekers all along the border, which represents a complete violation²² of human rights and a complete disregard for international and domestic law.

BURNETT: There are also reports coming from inside detention facilities. A 24-year-old Mexican asylum applicant⁸ named Marta, who asked that her last name be withheld²³ because she fears retaliation²⁴, called NPR from an immigrant jail in Laredo.

MARTA: (Speaking Spanish).

BURNETT: She says immigration agents told the detainees asylum doesn't exist anymore - everyone in the facility asking for asylum is going to be deported.

Trump's Homeland Security Department has indicated that it wants to bring order to the chaotic²⁵ asylum process on the southern border and crack down on asylum fraud. Officials want to ensure that applicants are telling the truth. They've tightened²⁶ up the screening process that allows an asylum-seeker to get to the final stage, a full hearing before an immigration judge.

Katie Shepherd with the pro-immigrant American Immigration Council worries that those changes...

KATIE SHEPHERD: Will possibly have the impact of reducing the number of asylum-seekers who are allowed to have a meaningful day in court.

BURNETT: The asylum turn-aways and Trump's immigration posture²⁷ may already be having an effect. Last week, Homeland Security reported the number of family units apprehended²⁸ on the southern border dropped 66 percent from January to February - since Trump took office - from 9,300 to about 3,000.

(CROSSTALK)

BURNETT: Here at the immigrant sanctuary²⁹ at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in McAllen, the number has dropped from 300 to 30 a day. Margarita Yxtuc is one of the lucky ones. She left the Guatemalan highlands for Texas last month, with four of her children, to flee a violent spouse³⁰. She was admitted into the U.S., and she has a court date to make her asylum claim. Yxtuc says she knows women back home who've decided not to make the perilous³¹ journey north.

MARGARITA YXTUC: (Through interpreter) They say the new American president doesn't want us. He's sending us all back to our countries. They're saying let's not go.

(Speaking Spanish).

BURNETT: Trump's stricter asylum policies may only be the beginning of actions to deter³² families from leaving Central America for the U.S. Last week, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly confirmed he's considering separating children from their parents if they cross the border illegally.

John Burnett, NPR News, on the Texas-Mexico border.

1 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。

2 persecution   

n. 迫害,烦扰

参考例句：

• He had fled from France at the time of the persecution. 他在大迫害时期逃离了法国。
• Their persecution only serves to arouse the opposition of the people. 他们的迫害只激起人民对他们的反抗。

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

5 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。

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 pro   

n.赞成，赞成的意见，赞成者

参考例句：

• The two debating teams argued the question pro and con.辩论的两组从赞成与反对两方面辩这一问题。
• Are you pro or con nuclear disarmament?你是赞成还是反对核裁军？

8 applicant   

n.申请人，求职者，请求者

参考例句：

• He was the hundredth applicant for the job. 他是第100个申请这项工作的人。
• In my estimation, the applicant is well qualified for this job. 据我看, 这位应征者完全具备这项工作的条件。

9 applicants   

申请人，求职人( applicant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were over 500 applicants for the job. 有500多人申请这份工作。
• He was impressed by the high calibre of applicants for the job. 求职人员出色的能力给他留下了深刻印象。

10 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》

11 abdomen   

n.腹，下腹(胸部到腿部的部分)

参考例句：

• How to know to there is ascarid inside abdomen?怎样知道肚子里面有蛔虫？
• He was anxious about an off-and-on pain the abdomen.他因时隐时现的腹痛而焦虑。

12 emboldened   

v.鼓励，使有胆量( embolden的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Emboldened by the wine, he went over to introduce himself to her. 他借酒壮胆，走上前去向她作自我介绍。
• His success emboldened him to expand his business. 他有了成就因而激发他进一步扩展业务。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

14 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

15 persecuted   

（尤指宗教或政治信仰的）迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的过去式和过去分词 )； 烦扰，困扰或骚扰某人

参考例句：

• Throughout history, people have been persecuted for their religious beliefs. 人们因宗教信仰而受迫害的情况贯穿了整个历史。
• Members of these sects are ruthlessly persecuted and suppressed. 这些教派的成员遭到了残酷的迫害和镇压。

16 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。

17 grievance   

n.怨愤，气恼，委屈

参考例句：

• He will not easily forget his grievance.他不会轻易忘掉他的委屈。
• He had been nursing a grievance against his boss for months.几个月来他对老板一直心怀不满。

18 alleges   

断言，宣称，辩解( allege的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The newspaper article alleges that the mayor is corrupt. 报纸上断言该市长腐败。
• Steven was tardy this morning and alleges that his bus was late. 史提芬今天早上迟到的说词是公车误点了。

19 ranch   

n.大牧场，大农场

参考例句：

• He went to work on a ranch.他去一个大农场干活。
• The ranch is in the middle of a large plateau.该牧场位于一个辽阔高原的中部。

20 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

21 systematic   

adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的

参考例句：

• The way he works isn't very systematic.他的工作不是很有条理。
• The teacher made a systematic work of teaching.这个教师进行系统的教学工作。

22 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

23 withheld   

withhold过去式及过去分词

参考例句：

• I withheld payment until they had fulfilled the contract. 他们履行合同后，我才付款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There was no school play because the principal withheld his consent. 由于校长没同意，学校里没有举行比赛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

24 retaliation   

n.报复，反击

参考例句：

• retaliation against UN workers 对联合国工作人员的报复
• He never said a single word in retaliation. 他从未说过一句反击的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

25 chaotic   

adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的

参考例句：

• Things have been getting chaotic in the office recently.最近办公室的情况越来越乱了。
• The traffic in the city was chaotic.这城市的交通糟透了。

26 tightened   

收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧

参考例句：

• The rope holding the boat suddenly tightened and broke. 系船的绳子突然绷断了。
• His index finger tightened on the trigger but then relaxed again. 他的食指扣住扳机，然后又松开了。

27 posture   

n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势

参考例句：

• The government adopted an uncompromising posture on the issue of independence.政府在独立这一问题上采取了毫不妥协的态度。
• He tore off his coat and assumed a fighting posture.他脱掉上衣，摆出一副打架的架势。

28 apprehended   

逮捕，拘押( apprehend的过去式和过去分词 )； 理解

参考例句：

• She apprehended the complicated law very quickly. 她很快理解了复杂的法律。
• The police apprehended the criminal. 警察逮捕了罪犯。

29 sanctuary   

n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区

参考例句：

• There was a sanctuary of political refugees behind the hospital.医院后面有一个政治难民的避难所。
• Most countries refuse to give sanctuary to people who hijack aeroplanes.大多数国家拒绝对劫机者提供庇护。

30 spouse   

n.配偶(指夫或妻)

参考例句：

• Her spouse will come to see her on Sunday.她的丈夫星期天要来看她。
• What is the best way to keep your spouse happy in the marriage?在婚姻中保持配偶幸福的最好方法是什么？

31 perilous   

adj.危险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• The journey through the jungle was perilous.穿过丛林的旅行充满了危险。
• We have been carried in safety through a perilous crisis.历经一连串危机，我们如今已安然无恙。

32 deter   

vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住

参考例句：

• Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。
• Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。