VOA标准英语2010年-US Immigration Advocates Cheer End of

US lawmakers have approved a measure that would end the government's practice of annulling¹ foreigners' applications for permanent residency when their American spouses³ die within the first two years of the marriage.

Paige Kollock | New York 31 December 2009

 
Osserritta Robinson (L) and her late husband

 
Osserritta Robinson was just 24 when she came to the USA from Jamaica.  While working as a front desk agent in a hotel, she met Louis Robinson, fell in love and got married.

"He took it upon himself to ask me out, and I accepted, and that was it," she recalled.  "And one date, and that was it."

Eight months later, her husband was riding the Staten Island Ferry on his way home from work when the boat crashed into a pier⁴.  Louis Robinson was killed, along with 10 others on board.

"It puts you in a state of shock, you're like, I just married you and now I have to bury you," she added.

As Robinson was grieving her husband, she had another shock.  Her application to become a permanent U.S. resident was rejected, even though her husband had filed the proper papers to sponsor her.  The law required that a couple be married for at least two years for the spouse² to be considered for U.S. residency.

With the help of immigration lawyer Jeffrey Feinbloom, Robinson sued the Department of Homeland Security.

"The decision left her without any legal status," he explained.  "Fortunately, she was not placed under removal proceedings⁵.  Unfortunately, many other widows have been placed under removal proceedings.  They are unable to work; they are unable to travel; they are unable to get a driver's license⁶... It's a tough way to live."

After five years of lawsuits⁷ and appeals in various courts, Robinson had a victory.  In October, the U.S. Senate approved a bill ending the so-called "widow penalty."  According to the advocacy group Surviving Spouses Against Deportation⁸, the measure provides refuge for more than 200 widows and widowers⁹ who entered the country legally, but were subject to deportation because their spouses died.

ROBINSON: "I was so happy, I was like, 'Yes, finally,' but, you know, that feeling doesn't last long because you say, 'Now what?'"

FEINBLOOM: "They are taking affirmative steps to reopen the denied cases, and hopefully carry through the law's intent, which is to legalize the status of these widows."

It's been a long fight for Robinson, but her efforts paid off.  She has an appointment with the U.S. Immigration office, where her application for residency will be reviewed in the light of the new law.

1 annulling   

v.宣告无效( annul的现在分词 )；取消；使消失；抹去

参考例句：

• Cancellation: Voiding a debt by annulling or paying it. 撤销，解除[债务]:以取消或偿付的办法使一笔债务失效。 来自互联网

2 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？

3 spouses   

n.配偶，夫或妻( spouse的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Jobs are available for spouses on campus and in the community. 校园里和社区里有配偶可做的工作。 来自辞典例句
• An astonishing number of spouses-most particularly in the upper-income brackets-have no close notion of their husbands'paychecks. 相当大一部分妇女——特别在高收入阶层——并不很了解他们丈夫的薪金。 来自辞典例句

4 pier   

n.码头；桥墩，桥柱；[建]窗间壁，支柱

参考例句：

• The pier of the bridge has been so badly damaged that experts worry it is unable to bear weight.这座桥的桥桩破损厉害，专家担心它已不能负重。
• The ship was making towards the pier.船正驶向码头。

5 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

6 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

7 lawsuits   

n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Lawsuits involving property rights and farming and grazing rights increased markedly. 涉及财产权，耕作与放牧权的诉讼案件显著地增加。 来自辞典例句
• I've lost and won more lawsuits than any man in England. 全英国的人算我官司打得最多，赢的也多，输的也多。 来自辞典例句

8 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。

9 widowers   

n.鳏夫( widower的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Even elderly widows and widowers choose to live on their own. 连年迈的寡妇和鳏夫都选择独自生活。 来自互联网
• His works contain Widowers' House, Mrs. Warren's Profession, a play about the economic oppression of women. 他的早期代表作品包括《鳏夫的房产》，《沃伦夫人的职业》的主题是对妇女们经济上的压迫。 来自互联网