美国有线新闻 CNN 奥巴马移民行政令进入审议环节

 

play pause stop mute unmute max volume 00:0003:11repeat repeat off Update Required To play the media you will need to either update your browser¹ to a recent version or update your Flash plugin. AZUZ: The U.S. Supreme² Court is now hearing arguments in a case related to President Obama's controversial executive action on immigration. The president denounced the action in 2014. It allows millions of people who are in the U.S. illegally to stay without the threat of being deported³.

They could apply for work programs and other benefits, as long as they paid taxes.

Twenty-six states sued the government over this. The Obama administration says its action is legal, and like those of previous presidents on immigration. But no executive action has ever impacted this many people before. And executive actions don't go through Congress. Critics say this one in particular should.

Another aspect to this — the Supreme Court is divided. Four of the justices were appointed by Republican presidents, four by Democratic presidents.

Conservative Justice Antonin Scalia died suddenly in February and his potential replacements⁴ have been held up in Congress. So, if the high court rules 4-4 on this issue, the ruling of the lower court stands, and that court blocked the president's action on immigration.

This isn't the only debate happening right now on this issue.

REPORTER: H-1B sounds like an airplane, or an exotic disease. They're actually visas and these visas are one of the most controversial parts of the immigration debate. Huge tech giants like Facebook and Google call them essential to their business, but critics say companies are exploiting them at the expense of the American worker.

So, what exactly are the H-1B visas?

Congress created them in 1992 to bring in highly educated and specialized⁵ foreign workers into the country.

GEORGE H.W. BUSH, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: This bill provides for vital increases for entry on the basis of skills, infusing the ranks of our scientists and engineers.

REPORTER: They're supposed to fill shortages — think computer programmers, engineers, doctors.

Around 85,000 are allotted⁶ a year and they last up to six years, plus a possible extension. To get one, you have to be educated. Ninety-nine percent of H-1B workers have at least a bachelor's degree and over a half have advanced degrees.

So, why are H-1Bs are controversial?

Well, critics claim the companies aren't using them to fill shortages. They say the companies are actually bringing in foreign workers so they can pay them less than American workers, and it wasn't mean to work this way.

To protect American workers from exactly what critics are accusing the companies of doing now, the law was set up to require a, quote-unquote, "prevailing⁷ wage". That's a number calculated for each job by the Department of Labor⁸. But critics say that that number, it's rife⁹ for loopholes and abuse.

Another problem for, quote-unquote, "specialized hard to fill jobs" sometimes aren't. Around 50 percent of H-1Bs are going to computer programmers, but they've also been used for sports coaches, ranch¹⁰ workers, preschool teachers.

And it's not just American workers who can be hurt by their misuse¹¹. Employers hold incredible leverage¹² over H-1B visa holders¹³. Some have described the workers as indentured¹⁴ servants because an H-1B worker needs to have a job to stay in the country. Complain about working conditions?

You could lose your jobs and be forced to leave the country.

So, here we are, tech companies want more H-1Bs, critics want reform. Will Silicon¹⁵ Valley get its way?

1 browser   

n.浏览者

参考例句：

• View edits in a web browser.在浏览器中看编辑的效果。
• I think my browser has a list of shareware links.我想在浏览器中会有一系列的共享软件链接。

2 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。

3 deported   

v.将…驱逐出境( deport的过去式和过去分词 )；举止

参考例句：

• They stripped me of my citizenship and deported me. 他们剥夺我的公民资格，将我驱逐出境。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The convicts were deported to a deserted island. 罪犯们被流放到一个荒岛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 replacements   

n.代替( replacement的名词复数 )；替换的人[物]；替代品；归还

参考例句：

• They infiltrated behind the lines so as to annoy the emery replacements. 他们渗透敌后以便骚扰敌军的调度。 来自辞典例句
• For oil replacements, cheap suddenly looks less of a problem. 对于石油的替代品来说，价格变得无足轻重了。 来自互联网

5 specialized   

adj.专门的，专业化的

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
• These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。

6 allotted   

分配，拨给，摊派( allot的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I completed the test within the time allotted . 我在限定的时间内完成了试验。
• Each passenger slept on the berth allotted to him. 每个旅客都睡在分配给他的铺位上。

7 prevailing   

adj.盛行的；占优势的；主要的

参考例句：

• She wears a fashionable hair style prevailing in the city.她的发型是这个城市流行的款式。
• This reflects attitudes and values prevailing in society.这反映了社会上盛行的态度和价值观。

8 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

9 rife   

adj.(指坏事情)充斥的，流行的，普遍的

参考例句：

• Disease is rife in the area.疾病在这一区很流行。
• Corruption was rife before the election.选举之前腐败盛行。

10 ranch   

n.大牧场，大农场

参考例句：

• He went to work on a ranch.他去一个大农场干活。
• The ranch is in the middle of a large plateau.该牧场位于一个辽阔高原的中部。

11 misuse   

n.误用，滥用；vt.误用，滥用

参考例句：

• It disturbs me profoundly that you so misuse your talents.你如此滥用自己的才能，使我深感不安。
• He was sacked for computer misuse.他因滥用计算机而被解雇了。

12 leverage   

n.力量，影响；杠杆作用，杠杆的力量

参考例句：

• We'll have to use leverage to move this huge rock.我们不得不借助杠杆之力来移动这块巨石。
• He failed in the project because he could gain no leverage. 因为他没有影响力，他的计划失败了。

13 holders   

支持物( holder的名词复数 )； 持有者； （支票等）持有人； 支托（或握持）…之物

参考例句：

• Slaves were mercilessly ground down by slave holders. 奴隶受奴隶主的残酷压迫。
• It is recognition of compassion's part that leads the up-holders of capital punishment to accuse the abolitionists of sentimentality in being more sorry for the murderer than for his victim. 正是对怜悯的作用有了认识，才使得死刑的提倡者指控主张废除死刑的人感情用事，同情谋杀犯胜过同情受害者。

14 indentured   

v.以契约束缚（学徒）( indenture的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The Africans became indentured servants, trading labor for shelter and eventual freedom. 非洲人成为契约上的仆人，以劳力交换庇护及最终的自由。 来自互联网
• They are descendants of indentured importees. 他们是契约外来工的后代。 来自互联网

15 silicon   

n.硅(旧名矽)

参考例句：

• This company pioneered the use of silicon chip.这家公司开创了使用硅片的方法。
• A chip is a piece of silicon about the size of a postage stamp.芯片就是一枚邮票大小的硅片。