美国国家公共电台 NPR Rio Grande Valley Landowners Plan To Fight Border Wall Expansion

 

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

President Trump¹ has vetoed the congressional attempt to block his national emergency declaration, but that is not the end of that story. It goes to the courts next. In Texas' Rio Grande Valley, hundreds of landowners have received letters from the federal government asking to survey their land for border wall construction. Here's Texas Public Radio's Reynaldo Leanos Jr.

REYNALDO LEANOS JR, BYLINE²: Eloisa Tamez lives in El Calaboz, a small town outside of Brownsville. She received a life-changing phone call at work back in 2007.

ELOISA TAMEZ: I was notified by two border patrolmen that, did I know that my property was in the path of the planned construction of the border wall?

LEANOS JR: The government wanted permission to access her land to survey it, but she refused. So they took her to court, where her case dragged on for months. But eventually, she lost her case.

TAMEZ: Within 24 hours after he gave the order, they build that.

LEANOS JR: That, meaning the wall behind her property. Next came the battle for compensation. The government originally lowballed her. She sued for more.

TAMEZ: The settlement that I got, which was $56,000, and I converted some of that for scholarships for graduate nursing students.

LEANOS JR: Tamez says she didn't want the money and just wanted her land, without a wall. Tamez's experiences in dealing³ with the government back then are similar to what other landowners went through - they fought, they lost, the wall was built. Now it seems like those legal skirmishes will begin again. Efren Olivares of the Texas Civil Rights Project says this time around, it seems more people will be impacted, but he's hopeful more residents now know their rights.

EFREN OLIVARES: What happened last time, which was a lot of people didn't know they didn't have to accept the first offer, so they signed without knowing that they were giving up their rights.

LEANOS JR: Landowners in the Rio Grande Valley should know, Olivares says, that the courts can weigh in on the surveying and the compensation amounts. In this latest effort to extend the wall, Congress has required the federal government to meet with local officials to discuss design and alignment⁴ of the wall. In Starr County, Roma Mayor Roberto Salinas met with local Border Patrol officials three weeks ago to try and negotiate on behalf of his community.

ROBERTO SALINAS: Right now what's planned below right here in the center of town is an 18-foot steel fence. We think that would be a detriment⁵ to tourism, and instead, what we would like to see is something more like a concrete barrier built with some decorative⁶ fencing on top of it that would enhance tourism.

LEANOS JR: Salinas says the Border Patrol were receptive, but there's no official contract. Mayor Salinas says he sees both sides of the wall debate.

SALINAS: Border Patrol and Homeland Security say they need the fence in order to do their jobs. And if they say they need it, I think we should comply and give them what they need.

LEANOS JR: The mayor says border officials assured him no homes would be displaced during the construction of a new border wall. But he's skeptical⁷ because they've walked back commitments in the past.

(SOUNDBITE OF UNIDENTIFIED TV SHOW)

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (A character, speaking Spanish).

LEANOS JR: Ninety-year-old Elvira Canales lives in Salineno, about a 15-minute drive west of Roma. She recently talked to the Army Corps⁸ of Engineers about an upcoming road construction project near her property by the Rio Grande. Canales says she'll take legal action if the government tries to take her land for the road or the proposed wall.

ELVIRA CANALES: I won't sell it, or I won't give permission because it's my property for, I mean, generations and generations.

LEANOS JR: The Canales family has not yet received an official letter from the government asking for permission to survey their land. Border wall construction is expected to begin later this year in Starr County. For NPR News, I'm Reynaldo Leanos Jr.

(SOUNDBITE OF KNEEBODY'S "DRUM BATTLE")

1 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。

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

4 alignment   

n.队列；结盟，联合

参考例句：

• The church should have no political alignment.教会不应与政治结盟。
• Britain formed a close alignment with Egypt in the last century.英国在上个世纪与埃及结成了紧密的联盟。

5 detriment   

n.损害；损害物，造成损害的根源

参考例句：

• Smoking is a detriment to one's health.吸烟危害健康。
• His lack of education is a serious detriment to his career.他的未受教育对他的事业是一种严重的妨碍。

6 decorative   

adj.装饰的，可作装饰的

参考例句：

• This ware is suitable for decorative purpose but unsuitable for utility.这种器皿中看不中用。
• The style is ornate and highly decorative.这种风格很华丽，而且装饰效果很好。

7 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。

8 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。