VOA标准英语2014--Activists Question Treatment of Undocumented Immigrants

 

Activists² Question Treatment of Undocumented Immigrants

LOS ANGELES —

Immigrant rights groups are questioning the treatment of undocumented migrants, including many children being held in detention³ in the Southwestern United States. Others are demanding an end to illegal immigration, with protesters in California on Tuesday blocking busloads of migrants being transported for processing. Demands are rising for Washington to fix the problem.

More than 52,000 unaccompanied children are among the illegal migrants detained since October while crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. President Barack Obama has called it a humanitarian⁴ crisis.

On Tuesday, protesters angry with the influx⁵ of immigrants blocked three busloads of detainees, including families and children, en route to a Border Patrol processing center in Southern California. “Go back!” they shouted.

Thursday in Los Angeles, Latin American immigrants met outside the Mexican consulate⁶ in Los Angeles to urge Mexico and the United States to safeguard the rights of families and children.

“Please, both governments,” said Saladoran-American activist¹ Isabel Cardenas, “… make sure that these children are protected.”

Two undocumented immigrants, over 18 and classified as adults, took part in a news conference to describe their three months in custody⁸ at a privately⁹ run detention center in San Diego. Released and awaiting hearings on their immigration status, they met with reporters at the offices of the Coalition¹⁰ for Humane¹¹ Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles.

One is Yordi Cancino, 21, who graduated from high school in the United States and whose mother still lives in Los Angeles. Immigration officers urged him to sign papers submitting to deportation¹², he said.

“I even told the officer, 'Hey, let me read that paper. I'm not going to sign something that I really don't know what it's about,'” Cancino recalled. “She said, 'Oh no, sign this paper. Your process is going to be fast, and everything will be perfectly¹³ fine.' I said, 'If you're not letting me read in reality what I'm signing, I'm not going to sign.'”

Activists say they wonder who will protect the rights of minors¹⁴ now in custody.

“If adults are being yelled at and insulted on a daily basis, that just is par⁷ for the course on how they're going to treat young people,” said Xiomara Corpeno, an activist with the Los Angeles coalition.

U.S. officials say they are doing their best to ensure proper treatment for the young people and families awaiting asylum¹⁵ hearings. Most of the young migrants come from Central America and may be placed with relatives in the United States temporarily. But many are likely eventually to be deported¹⁶.

President Barack Obama is asking Congress for $2 billion to deal with the crisis, and he says comprehensive immigration reform is the only long-term solution.  House Republican leader John Boehner says that will not happen this year and says Republicans want more security on the border.

1 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

2 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

4 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。

5 influx   

n.流入，注入

参考例句：

• The country simply cannot absorb this influx of refugees.这个国家实在不能接纳这么多涌入的难民。
• Textile workers favoured protection because they feared an influx of cheap cloth.纺织工人拥护贸易保护措施，因为他们担心涌入廉价纺织品。

6 consulate   

n.领事馆

参考例句：

• The Spanish consulate is the large white building opposite the bank.西班牙领事馆是银行对面的那栋高大的白色建筑物。
• The American consulate was a magnificent edifice in the centre of Bordeaux.美国领事馆是位于波尔多市中心的一座宏伟的大厦。

7 par   

n.标准，票面价值，平均数量；adj.票面的，平常的，标准的

参考例句：

• Sales of nylon have been below par in recent years.近年来尼龙织品的销售额一直不及以往。
• I don't think his ability is on a par with yours.我认为他的能力不能与你的能力相媲美。

8 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

9 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

10 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

11 humane   

adj.人道的，富有同情心的

参考例句：

• Is it humane to kill animals for food?宰杀牲畜来吃合乎人道吗？
• Their aim is for a more just and humane society.他们的目标是建立一个更加公正、博爱的社会。

12 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。

13 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

14 minors   

n.未成年人( minor的名词复数 )；副修科目；小公司；[逻辑学]小前提v.[主美国英语]副修，选修，兼修( minor的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The law forbids shops to sell alcohol to minors. 法律禁止商店向未成年者出售含酒精的饮料。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He had three minors this semester. 这学期他有三门副修科目。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

16 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》