美国是否会允许部分非法移民停留?

    About 10 million undocumented immigrants live in the U.S. Because they are not registered with authorities, undocumented immigrants often hide from the government.
    大约有1千万名非法移民居住美国。因为非法移民未在当局登记,他们通常躲着政府。

    For example, they do not pay taxes, and they cannot apply for driver's licenses, jobs that require a work permit, or loans to buy houses.
    例如,他们不交税,不能申请驾照或需要工作许可的职位,不能申请贷款买房。

    If they are discovered, undocumented immigrants can be deported – in other words, sent back to their home countries.
    如果非法移民被发现就会被驱逐出境,也就是被送回他们的祖国。

    But this week, the U.S. Supreme Court is considering whether to allow some undocumented immigrants to stay for a limited period and apply to work legally.
    但是本周,美国最高法院正在考虑是否允许一些非法移民合法停留一段时间并申请工作。

    The Court's decision will affect only undocumented immigrants who meet three criteria: those who have not been found guilty of a crime; those who have been in the U.S. for the past five years or more; and those who have a child who was born here or lives here legally.
    法院的裁决将只会影响到符合以下三项标准的非法移民:未犯罪,在美国已经居住至少五年,其子女在美国出生或在美国合法居留。

    About 4 million undocumented immigrants meet those criteria.
    大约有400万非法移民满足这些标准。

    What could happen?
    会发生什么?

    The Supreme Court will announce its decision this summer, probably in June.
    美国最高法院将在今年夏天作出裁决,具体时间可能会在六月份。

    The case revolves around a program called DAPA. It stands for "Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents."
    该案件围绕着“美国公民和合法永久居民的父母暂缓遣返”项目(Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents,简称DAPA)。

    President Barack Obama approved the program two years ago. One of the goals of the program was to keep families together. It also aimed to bring more people into legal work.
    奥巴马总统在两年前批准了这一项目。该项目的目标之一就是维护家庭团聚,同时让更多人获得合法工作。

    People who support DAPA say the program can greatly reduce the fear undocumented immigrants feel.
    支持DAPA项目的人们表示,该项目可以大大减少非法移民感受到的恐惧。

    A six-year-old girl named Sophie Cruz spoke outside the Supreme Court building. She was born in the U.S., but her parents are here without documents. That means the government can force her parents to leave the country – and their daughter – at any time. "I ask the judges to protect us children and all immigrants," Sophie Cruz said.
    一位名为索菲·克鲁兹(Sophie Cruz)的六岁小女孩在最高法院大楼外做了发言。她出生在美国,但是她的父母是非法移民。这意味着美国政府任何时候都可以强制要求她的父母离开美国和孩子。克鲁兹表示,“我请求法官保护我们孩子和所有移民。”

    A representative from a teacher's group also spoke. Cesar Moreno Perez said teachers know what happens when children come to school with fear: "Fear that their parents are not going to be home. Fear for themselves that they are going to be picked up on their way home."
    一位来自教师组织的代表也做了发言。塞萨尔·莫雷诺·佩雷斯(Cesar Moreno Perez)表示,老师们知道当孩子们带着恐惧上学发生的事情。“他们担心会失去父母,担心自己在回家的路上会被带走。”

    If the Supreme Court decides the DAPA program is legal, the government will protect approved undocumented immigrants. Those immigrants will receive a social security card, permission to work in the U.S., and a promise that they will not be forced to leave for three years.
    如果最高法院裁决DAPA项目合法,政府将会保护已获批准的非法移民。这些移民将会获得社会保障卡,获得在美国工作的许可,以及三年内不强制驱逐他们的承诺。

    At the end of three years, approved immigrants may apply again for the program.
    在三年结束时,已获批准的移民可以再次申请该项目。

    What is the argument against DAPA?
    反对DAPA项目的观点

    Lawyers arguing against DAPA say the program is not legal. President Obama approved DAPA, but Congress never agreed to it. Under the U.S. Constitution, Congress usually makes the laws, and the president's administration makes sure the laws are followed.
    反对DAPA项目的律师表示,该项目是非法的。奥巴马总统批准了DAPA项目,但是国会从未批准该项目。根据美国宪法,国会通常会制定法律,而政府部门要确保该法律得到遵守。

    One of the Supreme Court justices, Anthony Kennedy, said of the DAPA program, "The president is setting policy and Congress is executing it. It seems upside down."
    美国最高法院法官之一安东尼·肯尼迪(Anthony Kennedy)提到了DAPA项目。他说,“总统制定法律而国会执行法律,这似乎颠倒了。”

    However, the Constitution does allow the president to make an executive order. Those orders have the force of law, but they do not have to be approved by Congress. Future presidents may change an executive order.
    然而,宪法确实允许总统发布行政命令。这些命令具有法律效力,但是它们无需获得国会批准。未来的总统可以对行政命令做出修改。

    President Obama said he approved DAPA because Congress has failed to improve the U.S. immigration system.
    奥巴马总统表示,他批准DAPA项目是因为国会未能改善美国的移民制度。

    The state of Texas – along with 25 other states – are challenging Obama's executive order in the Supreme Court. They say Obama does not have the power to do so much to change the country's immigration laws.
    德克萨斯州和其它25个州正在最高法院质询奥巴马的行政命令。他们表示,奥巴马无权对该国的移民法做出如此大修改。

    Lower courts have agreed with the challengers. DAPA is currently frozen – or, not active – because previous judges have decided it is not legal.
    下级法院对这些质询者表示认同。DAPA项目目前被冻结,因为前面的法官已经裁决它是不合法的。

    What will the Supreme Court decide?
    最高法院将会如何裁决?

    The Supreme Court includes nine justices; however, one justice recently died, leaving eight people on the Court. As a result, the DAPA case could end in a four-to-four tie.
    最高法院有九名法官,然而有一名法官最近过世了,让最高法院只有8位法官了。因此,这起DAPA案件可能以4比4的平局结束。

    A tie is especially possible because four justices usually follow a more liberal way of thinking, and four usually follow a more conservative way of thinking. If the case ends in a tie, the DAPA program will remain frozen, and undocumented immigrants will continue to risk being deported.
    平局是非常可能的,因为四名法官通常遵循更加自由的思路,另四名法官通常遵循更加保守的思路。如果该案件以平局结束,DAPA项目将会继续冻结,而非法移民将会继续冒着被驱逐的风险。

    The Supreme Court could also decide not to decide. In other words, they could say that Texas and the other states do not have the right to sue in federal court.
    美国最高法院还可能决定不做裁决。换句话说,他们可能会说,德克萨斯州和其它州无权在联邦法院提起诉讼。

    If the Supreme Court throws out the case, Americans and politicians will have made no further progress on the question of undocumented immigrations.
    如果最高法院拒绝受理该案件,美国人和政治家们在非法移民问题上将会无法取得进一步进展。

    I'm Kathleen Struck.
    我是凯瑟琳·斯嘉克。(51VOA.COM对本文翻译保留全部权利,未经授权请勿转载,违者必究!)