AS IT IS 2016-02-01 Migrants Cower as Raids Target Illegal Immigrants

AS IT IS 2016-02-01 Migrants Cower¹ as Raids Target Illegal Immigrants

The United States recently launched a campaign to expel illegal immigrants from Central America.

The Obama administration targeted people who stayed after they were told to leave the country. Government agents detained 121 Central Americans, many of them women and children.

VOA’s Carolyn Presutti recently spoke³ with a number of undocumented migrants just after their homes were raided. They came to the U.S. mainly for economic reasons. Their full names are not made public because of the sensitivity of the issue.

Maria, age 8, said she was cleaning her teeth and preparing to go to school, when she heard a noise at the door. She opened the door and found eight immigration agents.

“I said, ‘Who are you?’ and they didn’t tell me their names. They said, 'Is there a grown-up here?' And I said, 'Yes,' ” she continued.

Maria said she was “trying to be brave,” knowing “they would never get my family because my family hasn’t done anything bad.”

But Maria’s Aunt Sofia is in the United States illegally. So are other adults who were not at home when the agents arrived.

Sofia hid in a ground floor bedroom with her three baby boys during the raid. Agents went room to room, but never looked in the basement.

“I thought they were going to enter the room with my children there and take me,” Sofia said.

While she was able to avoid getting detained by the immigration agents, Sofia said she is still full of fear.

“Now, I don’t know what I can do. I’m not even going to the grocery store anymore. I’m scared to go,” she said.

The Obama administration said the raids are designed to send a message to people in Central America. It wants to prevent more mass migration⁴ to the United States.

The administration wants to avoid a repeat of the 2014 immigration crisis. Two years ago, tens of thousands of Central Americans were traveling across the Mexican border. Many were children.

Jeh Johnson heads the federal agency that organized the raids.

“Our borders are not open to illegal migration,” said Johnson, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. “If you come here illegally, we will send you back consistent with our laws and values.”

Immigrant advocates call the raids inhumane.

Cecillia Wang is director of the American Civil Liberty Union’s Immigrants' Rights Project. She says “The administration is doubling down on a system that is rigged against these families. Many of these mothers and children had no lawyers because they could not afford them.

"Without counsel, traumatized refugees don't understand what is happening in court and cannot get their legitimate⁵ asylum⁶ claims heard."

But two candidates for the Republican presidential nomination⁷, Donald Trump⁸ and Ted² Cruz, want to do much more. Both said they would try to expel all estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States.

Trump also promises to build a fence along the Mexican border and get Mexico to pay for it.

“You're going to have a deportation⁹ force, and you're going to do it humanely," he said on MSNBC. “Don't forget that you have millions of people that are waiting in line to come into this country, and they're waiting to come in legally. And I always say the wall, we're going to build the wall. It's going to be a real deal. It's going to be a real wall."

Immigration activists¹⁰ have reacted to the recent raids by holding meetings and handing out “Know Your Rights” cards.

The cards have the following message in both English and Spanish:

“I do not give you permission to enter my home based on my 4th amendment¹¹ rights under the U.S. Constitution, unless you have a warrant.”

Maria tells VOA she does not plan to get to that point. “I’ve learned to never open the door and to look out the window,” she says.

Words in this Story

migrant – n. a person who goes from one place to another especially to find work

basement – n. the part of a building or house that is entirely¹² or partly below ground

doubling down – v. moving ahead with a program or policy with energy

rig – v. to control or affect something in a corrupt¹³ way

afford – v. to be able to pay for something

counsel -- n. a lawyer who represents a person or group in a legal matter

traumatize – v. to cause (someone) to become very upset in a way that often leads to serious emotional problems

deportation – n. to force a person to leave the country

warrant – n. a document issued by a court that gives the police the power to do something

1 cower   

v.畏缩，退缩，抖缩

参考例句：

• I will never cower before any master nor bend to any threat.我决不会在任何一位大师面前发抖，也不会为任何恐吓所屈服。
• Will the Chinese cower before difficulties when they are not afraid even of death?中国人死都不怕，还怕困难吗？

2 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

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 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

6 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。

7 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

8 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。

9 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。

10 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

12 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

13 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。