VOA慢速英语--美国“临时受保护身份”持有人继续面临困难

Difficulties Continue for 'Temporary Protected Status' Holders¹ In US

More than six months into the Biden administration, the future of a more than 30-years-old humanitarian² program is being questioned. The lives of hundreds of thousands of immigrants depend on this program.

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is given to nationals of some countries that are experiencing armed conflict or natural disasters. It was established by Congress in 1990. It permits recipients³ to live and work in the United States for a limited period.

The administration of former president Donald Trump⁴ sought to end temporary protection for nationals of some of these countries. This led to court challenges, and the future of the program was unknown.

The Biden administration extended TPS through executive authority, or decision by the president, and removed the immediate⁵ threat of deportations.

Julia Gelatt is a senior policy researcher at the Migration⁸ Policy Institute. She explained that a court challenge brought by the American Civil Liberties Union ended in required mediation⁹. No one knows what the mediation will establish.

"We don't know what exactly is being negotiated, what would a settlement look like," Gelatt told VOA. "Would it restore TPS for all of these countries or for some of these countries?"

While the Trump administration highlighted the "temporary" part of TPS, immigrant supporters are pressing the Biden administration to protect the people in the program. They also want the program expanded.

Oscar Chacon is the head of support group Alianza Americas. He told VOA by message that there is an active campaign to persuade the Biden administration to give new TPS placement for people from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. This would include people who are already living in the U.S.

He said the decision would continue protecting individuals in the program and extend protection to others. He said that while most TPS recipients' immigration is safe for now, the disorder¹⁰ has affected¹¹ the ability of some to renew work permits and receive other documents, like a driver's permit.

Different situations

Currently 12 countries have TPS placements: El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen.

The situations that bring immigrants from these countries to the United States are as different as the countries they left.

Yanira Arias¹² fled sexual violence and other problems in El Salvador. She arrived in New York in 2000 at age 27.

"It was not just a struggle to meet my needs, but also making sure that I arrived safe and alive at home [every day]. So, all that together was a lot of stress, and I made the decision to leave the country," she told VOA.

A year later, El Salvador had a large earthquake that left millions of people homeless. The U.S. government put the country in the TPS program.

Arias signed up for the program and was given protection. Now, she works for nonprofit groups that support Latina women, and immigrant communities.

TPS is typically renewed once every 18-months for nationals of El Salvador and other countries. Though Arias is thankful for the program, she says long-term planning is impossible.

She said, "I cannot invest in something permanent." And she is afraid of going back to a country where she "was almost killed."

Permanent placement sought

October will be an important month for TPS holders. Court-ordered extensions of protections will end. Immigration supporters hope the Biden administration will establish new rules that protect immigrants in the TPS.

Chacon, Arias, and others are urging U.S. lawmakers to amend¹³ TPS and permit immigrants in the program to build long-term lives in the United States.

"We are [trying] to explain to members of Congress that regardless of having our extensions — and yes, we are not being served with an order of deportation⁷ — it is very hard to live this way," Arias said.

Senate Democrats¹⁴ are pushing to provide legal placement to possibly millions of undocumented immigrants. They are attempting to include the measure in budget legislation that will come up in the Congress soon. Immigrant supporters say TPS reforms should be added to the document.

It is unknown if immigration-related measures in the budget proposal can survive the legislative¹⁵ process. It is also unknown if the $3.5 trillion budget bill can pass with only Democratic support.

Words in This Story

humanitarian – n. a person who works to make other people's lives better

challenge – v. to say or show that (something) may not be true, correct, or legal

deport⁶ – v. to force (a person who is not a citizen) to leave a country

restore – v. to put or bring (something) back into existence or use

regardless – adv. without being stopped or affected by (something)

1 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。

2 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

3 recipients   

adj.接受的；受领的；容纳的；愿意接受的n.收件人；接受者；受领者；接受器

参考例句：

• The recipients of the prizes had their names printed in the paper. 获奖者的姓名登在报上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The recipients of prizes had their names printed in the paper. 获奖者名单登在报上。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

4 trump   

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。

5 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

6 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。

7 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。

8 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。

9 mediation   

n.调解

参考例句：

• The dispute was settled by mediation of the third country. 这场争端通过第三国的斡旋而得以解决。
• The dispute was settled by mediation. 经调解使争端得以解决。

10 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

11 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

12 arias   

n.咏叹调( aria的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Can you pick out the operatic arias quoted in this orchestral passage? 你能听出这段管弦乐曲里有歌剧式的咏叹调吗？ 来自辞典例句
• The actions are large and colour, there are arias and recitatives. 动作夸张而华美，有唱段也有宣叙部。 来自辞典例句

13 amend   

vt.修改，修订，改进；n.[pl.]赔罪，赔偿

参考例句：

• The teacher advised him to amend his way of living.老师劝他改变生活方式。
• You must amend your pronunciation.你必须改正你的发音。

14 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。