VOA常速英语2007年-US Border Patrol Expands Zero-tolerance Program

By Greg Flakus
Houston
02 November 2007

The US Border Patrol is expanding a program along the Mexican border in Texas through which illegal aliens are prosecuted¹ and are subject to fines and imprisonment² for illegal entry. As VOA's Greg Flakus reports from Houston, the program has already had dramatic results in other areas where it has been implemented³.

The basic idea behind the Border Patrol's Streamline⁴ program is enforcement of a law that has been on the books since 1952 that authorizes⁵ fines and imprisonment for anyone illegally crossing over the border into the United States. Since the program started in Del Rio, Texas in December, 2005 there has been a 67 percent reduction in illegal alien apprehensions⁶. The program started in the Yuma, Arizona sector⁷ just ten months ago and has resulted in a 70 percent drop in apprehensions.

Some immigration experts have taken a skeptical⁸ view of the program, noting that there has been a reduction in immigration during this period because of the slowdown in US house construction, which employs many immigrants and that those who do enter illegally are probably avoiding the stricter enforcement areas and entering elsewhere.

But the Border Patrol began implementing⁹ the program in the Laredo, Texas sector this week with hopes of seeing similar success there. Carlos Carrillo, Border Patrol Sector Chief for Laredo, says biometric data and fingerprints¹⁰ taken from illegal aliens detained under the Streamline program shows that very few of them are returning through different sectors¹¹.

"The recidivism¹² rate for those aliens that have been prosecuted under the Streamline operation nationwide is less than two percent." he said.

Carrillo says the drop in illegal border crossings has been so dramatic in areas that have implemented the Streamline zero-tolerance program that its success is hard to dispute.

Carrillo says the old method of processing and sending captured illegal aliens back across the border was ineffective partly because many immigrants did not take it seriously. Now, he says, they will face jail time and a ban from obtaining a legal visa for up to 20 years if they persist in entering the United States illegally, something Carrillo says could imperil many immigrants from participating in any guest worker program the US government creates in the years ahead.

"Once you are barred from re-applying for a visa to enter the United States, you no longer qualify for any programs that might come in the future," he said.

Carrillo says this program has also helped discourage people from crossing the border in dangerous zones where they could perish from dehydration¹³ or exposure.

"Since they started this program, Streamline, in the Del Rio sector, they have reduced alien deaths by 50 percent. As a matter of fact, they ended this year with only 18 deaths," he said. "I say only 18 because if you compare it to the Laredo sector where we have not had this program, we just started it, we had 52 alien deaths for the same time period."

In its initial phase, the Streamline program in the Laredo sector is being targeted at the city of Laredo and nearby areas, but it will eventually be expanded to the entire 273-kilometer Laredo sector border corridor. Immigration officials in Washington are also keeping a close eye on the program, studying the possibility of implementing it on the entire US-Mexico border.

1 prosecuted   

a.被起诉的

参考例句：

• The editors are being prosecuted for obscenity. 编辑因刊载污秽文字而被起诉。
• The company was prosecuted for breaching the Health and Safety Act. 这家公司被控违反《卫生安全条例》。

2 imprisonment   

n.关押，监禁，坐牢

参考例句：

• His sentence was commuted from death to life imprisonment.他的判决由死刑减为无期徒刑。
• He was sentenced to one year's imprisonment for committing bigamy.他因为犯重婚罪被判入狱一年。

3 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

4 streamline   

vt.使成流线型；使简化；使现代化

参考例句：

• We must streamline our methods.我们必须简化方法。
• Any liquid or gas passing it will have streamline flow.任何通过它的液体或气体将呈流线型的流动。

5 authorizes   

授权，批准，委托( authorize的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The dictionary authorizes the two spellings 'traveler' and 'traveller'. 字典裁定traveler和traveller两种拼法都对。
• The dictionary authorizes the two spellings "honor" and "honour.". 字典裁定 honor 及 honour 两种拼法均可。

6 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。

7 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。

8 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

9 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

10 fingerprints   

n.指纹( fingerprint的名词复数 )v.指纹( fingerprint的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Everyone's fingerprints are unique. 每个人的指纹都是独一无二的。
• They wore gloves so as not to leave any fingerprints behind (them). 他们戴着手套，以免留下指纹。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

12 recidivism   

n.累犯，再犯

参考例句：

• Many areas and work units have experienced no recidivism at all for as long as ten or more years.不少地区和单位出现了连续几年、十几年没有发生重新犯罪的好典型。
• It needs to supplement the personality factor to confirm the ordinary recidivism.在普通累犯成立的条件中,应增加罪犯的人格因素。

13 dehydration   

n.脱水，干燥

参考例句：

• He died from severe dehydration.他死于严重脱水。
• The eyes are often retracted from dehydration.眼睛常因脱水而凹陷。