VOA标准英语2012--Immigration Law Divides Washington DC-Area Community

 

Immigration Law Divides Washington DC-Area Community

Francisca Sorto is the owner of "El Rinconcito Latino" restaurant in Prince William County, Virginia, where she serves up specialties¹ like tamales from her native El Salvador.

"“My employee [count] is 22 in the past, now only one,” Sorto said. 

After she opened, the restaurant was often filled. But in the next few weeks she will close for good, due to lack of business. She says many of her mostly-Latino customers left Prince William County after an immigration law similar to Arizona’s was enacted² in 2007.

“The people leave for Prince William County law. Because it is they escape the law," Sorto said. "They no [longer] want to live in Prince William County.”

Prince William County is a suburban³ community south of Washington D.C. Twenty percent of its legal residents are Latino. There is also an illegal immigrant population. According to police, some illegal immigrants wait at this convenience store looking for work as day laborers⁴.

The part of the Arizona law the Supreme⁵ Court upheld last month requires police to check the immigration status of anyone they stop, detain or arrest. The Prince William law only requires officers to check after an arrest.

County Supervisor⁶ Corey Stewart says the law became necessary after several high-profile crimes involving illegal immigrants.

“There has been a substantial decrease in violent crime since we adopted the policy," Steward⁷ said. "According to Prince William County Police statistics, the violent crime rate has come down almost 48 percent.”

Many in the Prince William County police force have had concerns about the policy. Chief of Police Charlie Deane says that is why officers check immigration status only after someone is arrested.

“We felt that it was lawful⁸, but that it was very high-risk policy," he said. "Prior to arrest puts officers in circumstances that they can be sued by those that say they aren’t doing enough and those that say they are doing too much.”

Community activists⁹ like Aracely Panameno say beyond the economic impact, and legal issues, the law has divided the community. She recalls someone leaving a note on her car telling to go back to her native El Salvador. As an American citizen she was deeply offended.

“I felt the divisiveness and the hatred," she said. "And I couldn’t go back anywhere because this is home.”

When the Supreme Court upheld the part of Arizona's law that allows police to check immigration status, it did so with a caveat¹⁰. The court invited those effected to challenge the law in court. To date, there have been no successful challenges to Prince William County's similar law. But the ruling leaves the door open. 

1 specialties   

n.专门，特性，特别；专业( specialty的名词复数 )；特性；特制品；盖印的契约

参考例句：

• Great Books are popular, not pedantic. They are not written by specialists about specialties for specialists. 名著绝不引经据典，艰深难懂，而是通俗易读。它们不是专家为专业人员撰写的专业书籍。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学
• Brain drains may represent a substantial reduction in some labor force skills and specialties. 智力外流可能表示某种劳动力技能和特长大量减少。 来自辞典例句

2 enacted   

制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• legislation enacted by parliament 由议会通过的法律
• Outside in the little lobby another scene was begin enacted. 外面的小休息室里又是另一番景象。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

3 suburban   

adj.城郊的，在郊区的

参考例句：

• Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
• There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。

4 laborers   

n.体力劳动者，工人( laborer的名词复数 )；（熟练工人的）辅助工

参考例句：

• Laborers were trained to handle 50-ton compactors and giant cranes. 工人们接受操作五十吨压土机和巨型起重机的训练。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Wage-labour rests exclusively on competition between the laborers. 雇佣劳动完全是建立在工人的自相竞争之上的。 来自英汉非文学 - 共产党宣言

5 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

6 supervisor   

n.监督人，管理人，检查员，督学，主管，导师

参考例句：

• Between you and me I think that new supervisor is a twit.我们私下说，我认为新来的主管人是一个傻瓜。
• He said I was too flighty to be a good supervisor.他说我太轻浮不能成为一名好的管理员。

7 steward   

n.乘务员，服务员；看管人；膳食管理员

参考例句：

• He's the steward of the club.他是这家俱乐部的管理员。
• He went around the world as a ship's steward.他当客船服务员，到过世界各地。

8 lawful   

adj.法律许可的，守法的，合法的

参考例句：

• It is not lawful to park in front of a hydrant.在消火栓前停车是不合法的。
• We don't recognised him to be the lawful heir.我们不承认他为合法继承人。

9 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》

10 caveat   

n.警告； 防止误解的说明

参考例句：

• I would offer a caveat for those who want to join me in the dual calling.为防止发生误解，我想对那些想要步我后尘的人提出警告。
• As I have written before,that's quite a caveat.正如我以前所写，那确实是个警告。