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US House Passes Tough Immigration Law
美众议院通过一份强硬的移民法
With a vote of 261 to 161, the House approved the Real ID Act, taking what the bill's Republican sponsors describe as an important step in safeguarding Americans against future terrorist attacks.
Last year's report of the independent commission that investigated security and other lapses2 before the September 11, 2001 al-Qaida attacks said terrorists were able to take advantage of system loopholes and travel documents, especially drivers' licenses4.
The Real ID Act, to which still must be taken up by the Senate, directs states to ensure that applicants5 for licenses are U.S. citizens or are in the country legally.
Judges would get more power in deciding on deportation6, and applicants for asylum7 would have to show clearly that a central reason for their request was persecution8 due to race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group.
The Department of Homeland Security would get new powers to tighten9 border security and track illegal immigrants.
In debate on the floor of the House of Representatives, Republicans such as Congressman10 J. D. Hayworth, argued that the attacks of September 11, provided indisputable reasons for passing the legislation.
J. D. Hayworth: In the wake of September 11, in the wake of clear and demonstrable evidence that there are those who come to this nation with the intent of harming and killing11 Americans, who are bent12 on the destruction of our nation, and our system of government, at long last this body should take the steps necessary to preserve our security and our liberty.
Democrats13 contended that the legislation would have a chilling effect on civil liberties and the ability of people seeking to immigrate14 for legitimate15 reasons.
Congressman Howard Berman called the asylum provisions of the legislation flawed.
Howard Berman: If Section 101 (referring to asylum) becomes law, people with a well-founded fear of persecution as a result of these changes will be denied asylum. There will be no effort whatsoever16 to enhance our effort to protect this country against terrorism, but we will have struck a fundamental blow against a tradition which I think is very important to maintain in this country and that is that we are a haven17 for refugees from persecution, for political, ethnic18, religious, gender19 reasons.
Republicans also pointed20 to the September 11 attacks in promoting a key provision of the bill, which directs that a drivers' license3 in the hands of someone with a temporary visa would expire at the same time the visa expires.
Republican Congressman Pete Sessions offered an amendment21 aimed at ensuring that once someone is ordered deported22, they are speedily returned to their home country.
Pete Sessions: Sadly, according to our government's best statistics, only 13 percent of the aliens arrested entering the country illegally and ordered deported, are actually removed. As a result, people entering the country illegally and with criminal or terrorist intent have quickly learned that if arrested they can be quickly released on their own word, and that they can be confident in the knowledge they do not have to show up for their hearing knowing they will likely never be deported.
The bill was opposed by many civil liberties groups and organizations working to protect immigrant rights, and by state governors and motor vehicle departments who said it would impose unnecessary burdens on the driver's license approval process.
President Bush this week announced his support for the legislation, which Republican lawmakers had wanted to place in a much larger bill approved last year reforming the U.S. intelligence system.
The Senate would have to pass its own version of the legislation, and the two congressional chambers23 would have to work out differences, before the law could go to President Bush for signature.
Dan Robinson, VOA news, Capitol Hill.
注释:
al-Qaida 基地组织
loophole [5lu:phEul] n. 枪眼,射弹孔
deportation [7dipC:5teiFEn] n. 移送,充军,放逐
asylum [E5sailEm] n. 庇护,收容所,救济院,精神病院
indisputable [7indis5pju:tEbl] adj. 无争论之余地的,明白的
chilling effect 激冷效应
haven [5heivn] n. 港口,避难所
alien [5eiljEn] n. 外侨
1 lapse | |
n.过失,流逝,失效,抛弃信仰,间隔;vi.堕落,停止,失效,流逝;vt.使失效 | |
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2 lapses | |
n.失误,过失( lapse的名词复数 );小毛病;行为失检;偏离正道v.退步( lapse的第三人称单数 );陷入;倒退;丧失 | |
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3 license | |
n.执照,许可证,特许;v.许可,特许 | |
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4 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 ) | |
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5 applicants | |
申请人,求职人( applicant的名词复数 ) | |
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6 deportation | |
n.驱逐,放逐 | |
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7 asylum | |
n.避难所,庇护所,避难 | |
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8 persecution | |
n. 迫害,烦扰 | |
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9 tighten | |
v.(使)变紧;(使)绷紧 | |
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10 Congressman | |
n.(美)国会议员 | |
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11 killing | |
n.巨额利润;突然赚大钱,发大财 | |
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12 bent | |
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的 | |
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13 democrats | |
n.民主主义者,民主人士( democrat的名词复数 ) | |
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14 immigrate | |
v.(从外国)移来,移居入境 | |
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15 legitimate | |
adj.合法的,合理的,合乎逻辑的;v.使合法 | |
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16 whatsoever | |
adv.(用于否定句中以加强语气)任何;pron.无论什么 | |
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17 haven | |
n.安全的地方,避难所,庇护所 | |
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18 ethnic | |
adj.人种的,种族的,异教徒的 | |
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19 gender | |
n.(生理上的)性,(名词、代词等的)性 | |
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20 pointed | |
adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
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21 amendment | |
n.改正,修正,改善,修正案 | |
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22 deported | |
v.将…驱逐出境( deport的过去式和过去分词 );举止 | |
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23 chambers | |
n.房间( chamber的名词复数 );(议会的)议院;卧室;会议厅 | |
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