US Border Patrol Steps up Efforts to Police Mexican Border

 

Greg Flakus

The U.S. Border Patrol is implementing² a new initiative on the Mexico border with the state of Arizona called simply "Arizona Border Control." This is in response to the massive human smuggling³ operations that have moved to this desert area in recent years and the deaths of hundreds of migrants who get lost in the harsh terrain⁴ without sufficient water. The new law enforcement effort is not being hailed by everyone.

The head of the Tucson sector⁵ Border Patrol operation, David Aguilar sees the Arizona Border Control operation as at least partly a humanitarian⁶ effort to stop immigrants from dying in the desert. “What is causing these deaths, what is causing these people to fall into distress⁷ is the criminal operatives, the criminal organizations that are looking to bypass our enforcement efforts,” he said.

Mr. Aguilar, who will soon take over as national director of the agency in Washington, said that the beefed up enforcement here in Arizona will undoubtedly⁸ send smugglers and illegal immigrants to other points on the border. But he says the Border Patrol is trying to stop them wherever they go.
“One of the major areas that we are taking into account under the Arizona Border Control initiative is not only bringing a focus to the areas of the border where we had not focused before, could not because of lack of resources, but also concurrent⁹ with that is being vigilant¹⁰ in other parts of the country and other areas so that when a trend starts developing we are responsive in a reactive and preferably, in a proactive manner, to go out and mitigate¹¹ those traffic levels that are out there,” he noted¹².
To tighten¹³ their grip on the Arizona border, by June 1, more than 200 agents will be sent to the area to augment¹⁴ the 18 hundred already there. More electronic sensors¹⁶ are being placed at strategic locations to detect intruders and two unmanned aerial vehicles, similar to the ones being used by the military in Afghanistan and Iraq, are being deployed¹⁷ over the border. Mr. Aguilar said that these drones will provide for much faster and more efficient response when a sensor¹⁵ detects movement on the ground.
“By launching an unmanned aerial vehicle that has the capacity to put eyes on that sensor and see what set it off, we will now be able to make a determination of whether our interest is there,” he said. “We will now be able to see whether the person or persons are armed. We will be able to make a determination as to how many people or individuals set that off. We will be able to gage¹⁸ our response more appropriately.”
But not everyone in Tucson and the border region applauds this new initiative. Various religious and human rights groups who work with immigrants argue that increased enforcement will only lead to more misery¹⁹ and deaths.
Ray Rodriguez is with the Pima County Interfaith Council, a group that includes representatives from all major churches and synagogues in the Tucson area. “We have to welcome the stranger,” he said. “People have rights to come to wherever they want to better themselves if their country is not providing that.”
Since Mexico and many other Latin American nations are not producing good jobs for their growing populations, Rodriguez says, it is only natural that people from there seek jobs here in the United States. He notes that the immigrants who toil²⁰ in the hot Arizona sun installing roofs, for example, are doing work most citizens and legal residents would not do.
“No one else is going to do the roofing jobs that more than likely the recent arrival is going to do,” he explained. “Construction is another area. We Americans, for whatever reason, do not take that type of work. We do not like that working outside. They are also taking manufacturing jobs. They are very good workers and they are reliable. They are dependable. They came here for the purpose of work.”
Mr. Rodriguez and others who work with immigrants here say tightening²¹ security at the border will not hold back the human tide and that the only answer is comprehensive immigration reform.
They are countered, however, by many others in this border region who say too many immigrants are already here. They are criticizing the U.S. government for not doing more to seal the border and some have even started their own patrols along the border. These groups are watching the current Border Patrol operation with interest and offering to do what they can to support it.

注释：
patrol [pE5trEul] n. 巡逻队
implement¹ [5implimEnt] vt. 执行
initiative [i5niFiEtiv] n. 优先权，（立法机关的）动议权
Mexico [5meksikEu] n. 墨西哥（拉丁美洲国家）
Arizona [7Ari5zEunE] n. 亚利桑那州（美国西南部的州）
smuggling [5smQ^liN] n. 走私
migrant [5mai^rEnt] n. 移居者
harsh [hB:F] adj. 荒芜的
hail [ heil ] vt. 向……欢呼，致敬
Tucson [tu:5sCn] n. 图森（美国亚利桑那州南部城市）
operative [5CpErEtiv] n. 特务、间谍
bypass [5baipAs] v. 回避
beef up （口）加强，补充（人数、兵力）等
vigilant [5vidVilEnt] adj. 警惕着的，警醒的
preferably [5prefErEbli] adv. 更适宜
proactive [7prEu5Aktiv] adj. 主动的，抢先的
mitigate [5miti^eit] v. 减轻
augment [C:^5ment] v. 增加，增大
capacity [kE5pAsiti] n. 智能
sensor [5sensE] n. 传感器
applaud [E5plC:d] v. 拍手喝彩，赞同
Pima [5pi:mE] n. 比马人（北美印第安人的一个部族）
interfaith [5intE(:)7feiW] adj. 不同宗教信仰者（间）的
synagogue [5sinE^C^] n. 犹太教会堂,
toil [tCil] vi. 辛苦跋涉
manufacturing [7mAnju5fAktFEriN] adj. 制造业的

1 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

2 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

3 smuggling   

n.走私

参考例句：

• Some claimed that the docker's union fronted for the smuggling ring.某些人声称码头工人工会是走私集团的掩护所。
• The evidence pointed to the existence of an international smuggling network.证据表明很可能有一个国际走私网络存在。

4 terrain   

n.地面，地形，地图

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• He knows the terrain of this locality like the back of his hand.他对这一带的地形了如指掌。

5 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。

6 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。

7 distress   

n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛

参考例句：

• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
• Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

8 undoubtedly   

adv.确实地，无疑地

参考例句：

• It is undoubtedly she who has said that.这话明明是她说的。
• He is undoubtedly the pride of China.毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。

9 concurrent   

adj.同时发生的，一致的

参考例句：

• You can't attend two concurrent events!你不能同时参加两项活动！
• The twins had concurrent birthday. 双胞胎生日在同一天。

10 vigilant   

adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的

参考例句：

• He has to learn how to remain vigilant through these long nights.他得学会如何在这漫长的黑夜里保持警觉。
• The dog kept a vigilant guard over the house.这只狗警醒地守护着这所房屋。

11 mitigate   

vt.（使）减轻，（使）缓和

参考例句：

• The government is trying to mitigate the effects of inflation.政府正试图缓和通货膨胀的影响。
• Governments should endeavour to mitigate distress.政府应努力缓解贫困问题。

12 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

13 tighten   

v.(使)变紧；(使)绷紧

参考例句：

• Turn the screw to the right to tighten it.向右转动螺钉把它拧紧。
• Some countries tighten monetary policy to avoid inflation.一些国家实行紧缩银根的货币政策，以避免通货膨胀。

14 augment   

vt.(使)增大，增加，增长，扩张

参考例句：

• They hit upon another idea to augment their income.他们又想出一个增加收入的办法。
• The government's first concern was to augment the army and auxiliary forces.政府首先关心的是增强军队和辅助的力量。

15 sensor   

n.传感器，探测设备，感觉器（官）

参考例句：

• The temperature sensor is enclosed in a protective well.温度传感器密封在保护套管中。
• He plugged the sensor into a outlet.他把传感器插进电源插座。

16 sensors   

n.传感器，灵敏元件( sensor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were more than 2000 sensors here. 这里装有两千多个灵敏元件。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Significant changes have been noted where sensors were exposed to trichloride. 当传感器暴露在三氯化物中时，有很大变化。 来自辞典例句

17 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

18 gage   

n.标准尺寸，规格；量规，量表 [=gauge]

参考例句：

• Can you gage what her reaction is likely to be?你能揣测她的反应可能是什么吗？
• It's difficult to gage one's character.要判断一个人的品格是很困难的。

19 misery   

n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦

参考例句：

• Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
• He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

20 toil   

vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事

参考例句：

• The wealth comes from the toil of the masses.财富来自大众的辛勤劳动。
• Every single grain is the result of toil.每一粒粮食都来之不易。

21 tightening   

上紧，固定，紧密

参考例句：

• Make sure the washer is firmly seated before tightening the pipe. 旋紧水管之前，检查一下洗衣机是否已牢牢地固定在底座上了。
• It needs tightening up a little. 它还需要再收紧些。