美国终止海地人的保护

US to End Protected Status For Haitians

Tens of thousands of Haitians will soon lose their protection from expulsion from the United States. Many were permitted to come to the U.S. after a powerful earthquake shook the nation in 2010. The quake caused billions of dollars in damage and killed 300,000 people. About 1.5 million were injured and an equal number were displaced.

This week, a Trump¹ administration official told reporters that the conditions in Haiti had improved, in her words, “such that they no longer prevent nationals of Haiti from returning safely.”

Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, will be cancelled for almost 60,000 Haitians living and working in the U.S. on July 22, 2019. They must either return to Haiti by that date or request permission to stay in the U.S. permanently².

Opponents of the administration’s decision note that Haiti has been hit by three damaging hurricanes recently. They also say it continues to suffer from a deadly spread of cholera³. And, last week, the Office of Civil Protection confirmed that at least five people had died and 10,000 homes were flooded after days of rain.

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Many Haitians live in the part of South Florida that she represents. She sharply criticized the administration’s decision.

On Twitter, she wrote: “I traveled to Haiti after the earthquake in 2010 and after Hurricane Matthew in 2016. So, I can personally attest⁴ that Haiti is not prepared to take back nearly 60,000 TPS recipients⁵ under these difficult and harsh conditions.”

Activists⁶ are asking Congress to create a permanent solution for the Haitians who have lived in the United States since 2010.

Lys Isma spoke⁷ to reporters this week. Her family fled to the United States from Haiti when she was nine months old. She said her community, in her words, “is tired of living 18 months at a time. We need a permanent solution.”

In May, the Department of Homeland Security extended TPS for Haitians for six months. The Haitian government had asked for a one-year extension. The department said the extension would permit Haitians with TPS the time to get travel documents and make plans to leave the United States. The department also said the extension gives the Haitian government time to prepare for the return of their people.”

Paul Altidor is Haiti’s ambassador to the United States. He told VOA that his country would welcome the return of those he called “our brothers and sisters.” But he said Haiti was not ready to accept the immediate⁸ return of tens of thousands of citizens.

Several thousand Haitian immigrants illegally entered Canada from the U.S. in the summer. They have asked for asylum⁹ there.

The Center for Migration¹⁰ Studies says most Haitians who are part of the TPS program have been living in the United States for 13 years and have 27,000 children who are U.S. citizens. More than 80 percent have jobs and 6,200 have home loans, the research group says.

Haitian immigrants live mostly in South Florida, New York, New Jersey¹¹ and eastern Massachusetts.

TPS was ended for Sudan in October. On January 8, the Trump administration is to decide what to do about the more than 130,000 people from El Salvador also under TPS.

Earlier this month, the administration cancelled protection for thousands of Nicaraguans who fled to the U.S. after Hurricane Mitch in 1998. The Trump administration said it would decide in July whether to cancel protection for 57,000 Hondurans who also fled the hurricane.

Elaine Duke, the acting¹² Secretary of Homeland Security, admitted that families would face “difficulties” if their protections are cancelled. She called on Congress to find a permanent solution.

I’m Phil Dierking.

Words in This Story

attest - v. to show, prove, or state that something is true or real?

harsh - adj. severe or cruel

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 permanently   

adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地

参考例句：

• The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。

3 cholera   

n.霍乱

参考例句：

• The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。
• Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。

4 attest   

vt.证明，证实；表明

参考例句：

• I can attest to the absolute truth of his statement. 我可以证实他的话是千真万确的。
• These ruins sufficiently attest the former grandeur of the place. 这些遗迹充分证明此处昔日的宏伟。

5 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》

6 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》

7 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。

8 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。

9 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。

10 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。

11 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

12 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。