VOA标准英语2014--移民涌入德州边境引爆政治争论

 

Immigrant Influx¹ on Texas Border Heats Up Political Debate 移民涌入德州边境引爆政治争论

HOUSTON —

Immigrants from Central America continue to cross the U.S.-Mexico border in south Texas, seeking asylum² in the United States, as officials grapple with ways to deal with the problem and provide shelter for thousands of minors³ among the illegal border crossers. The issue is complicated by internal U.S. politics and U.S. relations with the troubled nations that immigrants are fleeing.

Central American migrants continue to arrive at the south Texas border, overwhelming U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities there and diverting agents from patrols.

Texas Governor Rick Perry has ordered up to a thousand National Guard troops to the border to help prevent illegal activity.

"Drug cartels, human traffickers, individual criminals are exploiting this tragedy for their own criminal opportunities," said Perry.

Although Perry said the troops' presence would deter⁵ many lawbreakers, law enforcement officials in the border area are skeptical⁶, since the National Guard lacks the authority to arrest or detain people.

But Tony Payan, director of the Mexico Center at Rice University's Baker⁷ Institute, said Perry's plan might discourage people from crossing the border.

"This impact that 1,000 National Guard members may have is if you deployed⁸ them in a specific area that is seeing a lot of traffic, because they may be able to stem the tide. So, in some sense, it is not altogether in vain," said Payan.

But Payan said an overall reform of the U.S. immigration system is needed to resolve this crisis.

"In the end, it is not new, it has always been there and it is only one small bit of a larger problem, which only Congress and the president can resolve," he said.

But that resolution is on hold for now, as the Obama administration seeks $3.7 billion from Congress to deal with the Central American influx, which U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said is quickly depleting⁹ funds.

"At our current burn rate within the Department of Homeland Security, ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement will run out of money by mid-August; Customs and Border Patrol will run out by mid-September," he said.

But many Republican lawmakers, like Alabama Senator Richard Shelby, are reluctant to approve the request.

"Will this request be the end or will it be the beginning of many new requests by the administration for emergency funding?" asked Shelby.

Payan said enforcement efforts alone will not be effective. "This is really a transnational problem that requires that the U.S., Mexico and the three Central American nations in the northern triangle of that section of the continent sit down and find development solutions, long-term solutions to this problem."

President Barack Obama met with the presidents of Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala last week. They all pledged cooperation and agreed much more needs to be done to address the fundamental reasons for the migration⁴.

1 influx   

n.流入，注入

参考例句：

• The country simply cannot absorb this influx of refugees.这个国家实在不能接纳这么多涌入的难民。
• Textile workers favoured protection because they feared an influx of cheap cloth.纺织工人拥护贸易保护措施，因为他们担心涌入廉价纺织品。

2 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。

3 minors   

n.未成年人( minor的名词复数 )；副修科目；小公司；[逻辑学]小前提v.[主美国英语]副修，选修，兼修( minor的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The law forbids shops to sell alcohol to minors. 法律禁止商店向未成年者出售含酒精的饮料。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He had three minors this semester. 这学期他有三门副修科目。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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 deter   

vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住

参考例句：

• Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。
• Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。

6 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。

7 baker   

n.面包师

参考例句：

• The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
• The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。

8 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。

9 depleting   

使大大的减少，使空虚( deplete的现在分词 )； 耗尽，使枯竭

参考例句：

• Regulations are outlawing certain refrigerants, such as chlorofluorocarbons, which contain ozone-depleting chemicals. 随后出台的政策禁用了部分制冷剂，如破坏臭氧层的氟氯碳化合物。
• Aging, being a series of continual losses, can be keenly depleting. 老龄化，作为一个系列的连续亏损，可以清楚地消耗。