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US Congress Proposes Law to Give Citizenship to Millions

时间:2021-03-02 01:55:52

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Democratic Party lawmakers in the United States Congress introduced immigration legislation last Thursday. The proposed law would create an eight-year path to citizenship1 for millions of undocumented immigrants in the United States. The legislation would also provide a faster path to citizenship for those brought to the country illegally as children.

What does the bill say?

Under the bill, immigrants who are not legally in the country can apply to become legal if they were in the United States on or before January 1, 2021. They must pay all required costs and, in most cases, must not have a criminal record.

There are special requirements for Temporary Protected Status holders2, agricultural workers and those who arrived in the United States as children. Such children are known as Dreamers.

Hassan Ahmad is an immigration lawyer in the state of Virginia. He told VOA, "Having a criminal record or certain types of crimes on your record, or if you're a national security concern...would serve to prevent you...from getting relief under the bill."

The first step for applicants3 would be to secure lawful4 prospective5 immigrant status, or LPI. That is a way to have legal permanent residence in the United States. LPI status would be effective for six years.

But immigrants would have to wait at least five years to apply for legal permanent residence, also known as green card status. They would be required to pass security investigations6 and pay all taxes required by U.S. law. After three years of green card status, an immigrant would be able to apply for U.S. citizenship.

Someone with LPI status could legally work and travel outside the U.S. and be lawfully7 admitted back into the country. Those going through the LPI process would be protected from being expelled from the country while the government is deciding their applications.

Those living temporarily in the United States or visiting the country with a visa would not be covered under the bill.

Which groups do not have to apply for LPI?

Those who can be or already are a part of the Deferred8 Action for Childhood Arrivals program will be able to apply directly for a green card. Other groups that may apply directly include Temporary Protected Status holders and those who have been agricultural workers for at least five years. These groups must then wait five years to be eligible9 for U.S. citizenship.

Under current immigration law, those who stay in the U.S. illegally for more than 180 days but less than one year are banned for three years from returning to the U.S. Those who are unlawfully present for more than one year are banned for 10 years.

The bill calls for ending the three- and 10-year bans on people who lived in the United States illegally and then left.

Increased number of refugees admitted

The United States is also preparing to admit up to 125,000 refugees each year beginning in October. That is an increase from a 15,000-refugee limit at the end of the administration of former President Donald Trump10. The announcement could change the lives of people like Abdirizak Noor Ibrahim.

Ibrahim is originally from Somalia. He left the country in 2004 and became a refugee in Nairobi, Kenya. Ibrahim and his family were approved to travel to the U.S. for resettlement in early 2017. However, then President Trump signed orders restricting travel from several countries including Somalia.

Ibrahim told VOA that he felt bad hearing about the ban. "But now, I am so hopeful since there is a change of administrations, I will be accepted and taken to the country," he said.

The president decides the upper limit of admitted refugees in October and sends the plans to Congress.

Yael Schacher is with Refugee International. She said over 35,000 refugees had been approved by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services as of December 2020. The U.S. State Department says about 11,814 refugees arrived in the United States in 2020.

Schacher said, "People who are resettled in the United States already, who came as refugees, have the ability to apply to have their family members to resettle as refugees, as well."

Security policies

Supporters of Trump's immigration plan warn against undoing11 policies they consider important to America's safety. Lora Ries is a researcher at The Heritage Foundation, a conservative research group. She said there was a study of the program for security investigations of refugees at the beginning of the Trump administration. She said that policy should be repeated by future administrations.

"It should not be thrown out [by the new administration] just because Trump's name was attached to it," she told VOA.

Words in This Story

apply –v. to formally ask for a service, documentation or status usually in writing

type –n. a particular king or group of things or people

relief –n. (legal) help that is provided for by law or by a court

prospective –adj. likely to become something specified12 in the future

status –n. the official position of a person under the law of a country

residence –n. (legal) legal permission to live in a country

eligible –adj. able to do or receive something


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1 citizenship AV3yA     
n.市民权,公民权,国民的义务(身份)
参考例句:
  • He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生,但没有瑞典公民身分。
  • Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后,她选择了澳大利亚国籍。
2 holders 79c0e3bbb1170e3018817c5f45ebf33f     
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。
3 applicants aaea8e805a118b90e86f7044ecfb6d59     
申请人,求职人( applicant的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • There were over 500 applicants for the job. 有500多人申请这份工作。
  • He was impressed by the high calibre of applicants for the job. 求职人员出色的能力给他留下了深刻印象。
4 lawful ipKzCt     
adj.法律许可的,守法的,合法的
参考例句:
  • It is not lawful to park in front of a hydrant.在消火栓前停车是不合法的。
  • We don't recognised him to be the lawful heir.我们不承认他为合法继承人。
5 prospective oR7xB     
adj.预期的,未来的,前瞻性的
参考例句:
  • The story should act as a warning to other prospective buyers.这篇报道应该对其他潜在的购买者起到警示作用。
  • They have all these great activities for prospective freshmen.这会举办各种各样的活动来招待未来的新人。
6 investigations 02de25420938593f7db7bd4052010b32     
(正式的)调查( investigation的名词复数 ); 侦查; 科学研究; 学术研究
参考例句:
  • His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查,但没有发现什么。
  • He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。
7 lawfully hpYzCv     
adv.守法地,合法地;合理地
参考例句:
  • Lawfully established contracts shall be protected by law. 依法成立的合同应受法律保护。 来自口语例句
  • As my lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health, till death parts us. 当成是我的合法丈夫,无论疾病灾难,直到死亡把我们分开。 来自电影对白
8 deferred 43fff3df3fc0b3417c86dc3040fb2d86     
adj.延期的,缓召的v.拖延,延缓,推迟( defer的过去式和过去分词 );服从某人的意愿,遵从
参考例句:
  • The department deferred the decision for six months. 这个部门推迟了六个月才作决定。
  • a tax-deferred savings plan 延税储蓄计划
9 eligible Cq6xL     
adj.有条件被选中的;(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的
参考例句:
  • He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
  • Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。
10 trump LU1zK     
n.王牌,法宝;v.打出王牌,吹喇叭
参考例句:
  • He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
  • The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手,作为他的王牌。
11 undoing Ifdz6a     
n.毁灭的原因,祸根;破坏,毁灭
参考例句:
  • That one mistake was his undoing. 他一失足即成千古恨。
  • This hard attitude may have led to his undoing. 可能就是这种强硬的态度导致了他的垮台。
12 specified ZhezwZ     
adj.特定的
参考例句:
  • The architect specified oak for the wood trim. 那位建筑师指定用橡木做木饰条。
  • It is generated by some specified means. 这是由某些未加说明的方法产生的。

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