美国会让非法移民逗留吗

Will US Let Some Undocumented Immigrants Stay? 美国会让非法移民逗留吗

About 10 million undocumented immigrants live in the U.S. Because they are not registered with authorities, undocumented immigrants often hide from the government.

For example, they do not pay taxes, and they cannot apply for driver’s licenses¹, jobs that require a work permit, or loans to buy houses.

If they are discovered, undocumented immigrants can be deported³ – in other words, sent back to their home countries.

But this week, the U.S. Supreme⁴ Court is considering whether to allow some undocumented immigrants to stay for a limited period and apply to work legally.

The Court’s decision will affect only undocumented immigrants who meet three criteria⁵: those who have not been found guilty of a crime; those who have been in the U.S. for the past five years or more; and those who have a child who was born here or lives here legally.

About 4 million undocumented immigrants meet those criteria.

What could happen?

The Supreme Court will announce its decision this summer, probably in June.

The case revolves⁶ around a program called DAPA. It stands for “Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful⁷ Permanent Residents.”

President Barack Obama approved the program two years ago. One of the goals of the program was to keep families together. It also aimed to bring more people into legal work.

People who support DAPA say the program can greatly reduce the fear undocumented immigrants feel.  

A six-year-old girl named Sophie Cruz spoke⁸ outside the Supreme Court building. She was born in the U.S., but her parents are here without documents. That means the government can force her parents to leave the country – and their daughter – at any time.  “I ask the judges to protect us children and all immigrants,” Sophie Cruz said. 

A representative from a teacher’s group also spoke. Cesar Moreno Perez said teachers know what happens when children come to school with fear: “Fear that their parents are not going to be home. Fear for themselves that they are going to be picked up on their way home.”

If the Supreme Court decides the DAPA program is legal, the government will protect approved undocumented immigrants. Those immigrants will receive a social security card, permission to work in the U.S., and a promise that they will not be forced to leave for three years.

At the end of three years, approved immigrants may apply again for the program.

What is the argument against DAPA?

Lawyers arguing against DAPA say the program is not legal. President Obama approved DAPA, but Congress never agreed to it. Under the U.S. Constitution, Congress usually makes the laws, and the president’s administration makes sure the laws are followed.

One of the Supreme Court justices, Anthony Kennedy, said of the DAPA program, “The president is setting policy and Congress is executing it. It seems upside down.”

However, the Constitution does allow the president to make an executive order. Those orders have the force of law, but they do not have to be approved by Congress. Future presidents may change an executive order.

President Obama said he approved DAPA because Congress has failed to improve the U.S. immigration system.

The state of Texas – along with 25 other states – are challenging Obama’s executive order in the Supreme Court. They say Obama does not have the power to do so much to change the country’s immigration laws.

Lower courts have agreed with the challengers. DAPA is currently frozen – or, not active – because previous judges have decided⁹ it is not legal.

What will the Supreme Court decide?

The Supreme Court includes nine justices; however, one justice recently died, leaving eight people on the Court. As a result, the DAPA case could end in a four-to-four tie.

A tie is especially possible because four justices usually follow a more liberal way of thinking, and four usually follow a more conservative way of thinking. If the case ends in a tie, the DAPA program will remain frozen, and undocumented immigrants will continue to risk being deported.

The Supreme Court could also decide not to decide. In other words, they could say that Texas and the other states do not have the right to sue in federal court.

If the Supreme Court throws out the case, Americans and politicians will have made no further progress on the question of undocumented immigrations.

Words in This Story

deport² - v. to force a person to leave a country

throw out - phrasal verb, refuse to consider

1 licenses   

n.执照( license的名词复数 )v.批准，许可，颁发执照( license的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Drivers have ten days' grace to renew their licenses. 驾驶员更换执照有10天的宽限期。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Jewish firms couldn't get import or export licenses or raw materials. 犹太人的企业得不到进出口许可证或原料。 来自辞典例句

2 deport   

vt.驱逐出境

参考例句：

• We deport aliens who slip across our borders.我们把偷渡入境的外国人驱逐出境。
• More than 240 England football fans are being deported from Italy following riots last night.昨晚的骚乱发生后有240多名英格兰球迷被驱逐出意大利。

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 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。

5 criteria   

n.标准

参考例句：

• The main criterion is value for money.主要的标准是钱要用得划算。
• There are strict criteria for inclusion in the competition.参赛的标准很严格。

6 revolves   

v.（使）旋转( revolve的第三人称单数 )；细想

参考例句：

• The earth revolves both round the sun and on its own axis. 地球既公转又自转。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Thus a wheel revolves on its axle. 于是，轮子在轴上旋转。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 lawful   

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。

8 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

9 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。