VOA慢速英语--墨西哥移民到美国的数量创新低

AS IT IS 2016-04-24 Migrants Crossing US-Mexico Border Drop to Lowest Level 墨西哥移民到美国的数量创新低

The number of Mexican migrants blocked from crossing the U.S. border in 2015 was at its lowest level in nearly 50 years.

The information comes from reports by the Pew Research Center and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency.

The border agency and the Obama administration give two reasons for the low numbers: Better border security and an improved economy in Mexico.

“The nation’s long-term investment in border security has produced significant and positive results,” said the border agency in a statement. It points to more border agents, and increased use of airplanes, including drones.

That makes crossing the border illegally much more difficult, the agency said.

A new Pew Research Center report said the U.S. public is divided on immigration. It said 78 percent of Democrats¹ and Democratic-leaning voters believe immigrants make the United States better.

But only 35 percent of Republicans share this view of immigration, Pew researchers said. Overall, Pew said that 59 percent of Americans believe immigration is good for the United States.

On Monday, the Supreme³ Court heard arguments over a lawsuit⁴ that seeks to block an Obama administration order allowing about 4 million undocumented immigrants to stay in the U.S. and get work permits.

President Barack Obama said the U.S. government cannot deport⁵ all 11 million undocumented immigrants. He said his policy keeps people with family ties in the United States, while allowing them to work legally and support their families.

But Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy said during arguments Monday that such a decision should be made by Congress, not the president acting⁶ alone.

The court may be divided 4-4 on the case. If the court is divided, it would let stand a lower court ruling saying the Obama administration does not have the power to keep 4 million people free from deportation⁷.

Numbers Blocked at Mexican Border Down

According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency, 188,122 “apprehensions⁹” of Mexican migrants were made in 2015. That is 18 percent fewer than in the year before. And, it is the lowest number since 1969.

An apprehension⁸ takes place each time people are stopped from crossing the border and entering the United States.

Apprehensions from other countries decreased by an even larger percentage in 2015. They were down 68 percent, according to the border control agency.

Candidates have put forward their positions on immigration

Immigration is an important issue in the U.S. presidential race.

The three Republican candidates for president said enforcement is not nearly tough enough. Businessman Donald Trump¹⁰ said he would build a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico and have Mexico pay for it. He also said he would remove all 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S.

Republican Senator Ted² Cruz of Texas has not joined Trump in calling for deporting¹¹ all illegal immigrants. Instead, he has proposed filing criminal charges against people who stay past their visa deadlines and allow U.S. state governments to enforce immigration laws.

Ohio Governor John Kasich, another Republican candidate, has called for better enforcement. However, he supports a program that would permit the millions of people in the United States illegally to gain legal status so they can work.

Democratic candidates, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont support a different policy. They have said they would like a path toward U.S. citizenship¹² for undocumented immigrants.

Words in This Story

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

significant – adj. large enough to be noticed or have an effect

positive – adj. good or useful

drones – n. unmanned aircraft

undocumented – adj. not having official documents

deadline – n. a date or time when something must be finished

1 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》

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 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

4 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

5 deport   

vt.驱逐出境

参考例句：

• We deport aliens who slip across our borders.我们把偷渡入境的外国人驱逐出境。
• More than 240 England football fans are being deported from Italy following riots last night.昨晚的骚乱发生后有240多名英格兰球迷被驱逐出意大利。

6 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

7 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。

8 apprehension   

n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑

参考例句：

• There were still areas of doubt and her apprehension grew.有些地方仍然存疑，于是她越来越担心。
• She is a girl of weak apprehension.她是一个理解力很差的女孩。

9 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。

10 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。

11 deporting   

v.将…驱逐出境( deport的现在分词 )；举止

参考例句：

12 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。