3月11日,美國(guó)總統(tǒng)喬·拜登正式簽署了1.9萬(wàn)億美元的新冠疫情紓困法案——該法案的資金規(guī)模之大、覆蓋范圍之廣,以及其中一些略顯激進(jìn)的內(nèi)容,都注定會(huì)載入史冊(cè)。其中還涉及向有子女的家庭提供低保的具體形式。這項(xiàng)法案是拜登上臺(tái)后的第一個(gè)重大政績(jī),而它出臺(tái)的背景則是美國(guó)疫苗接種率提高、疫情大流行也似乎終于迎來(lái)了曙光。
當(dāng)拜登正帶領(lǐng)美國(guó)度過這場(chǎng)致命公共衛(wèi)生危機(jī)的最后階段,他自然會(huì)受到人們的交口稱贊。但一波未平,一波又起——當(dāng)疫情的危機(jī)得到緩解之后,他又難免會(huì)在其他一些重大問題上面臨更多的挑戰(zhàn),其中最重要的一個(gè)便是移民問題。
上周,有消息稱,美國(guó)邊境地區(qū)又涌現(xiàn)了許多兒童移民,白宮新聞秘書珍·普薩基對(duì)此向記者回應(yīng)道:“鑒于許多國(guó)會(huì)議員對(duì)移民問題、邊境局勢(shì)都有著深切的憂慮,現(xiàn)在將這項(xiàng)工作提上議程,不失為一個(gè)合適的時(shí)機(jī)。”
有人表示,拜登的確擬定了許多移民政策,但在落實(shí)過程中困難重重,僅僅是取消前總統(tǒng)唐納德·特朗普的政策——這在移民權(quán)利倡導(dǎo)者看來(lái)是最起碼的——都可能需要他付出一整個(gè)任期的努力。而民主黨的長(zhǎng)期目標(biāo)一直是要對(duì)現(xiàn)有移民制度進(jìn)行真正的改革,這將需要更長(zhǎng)的時(shí)間。
“拜登政府觸及的是政治改革中最復(fù)雜的環(huán)節(jié)之一。”美國(guó)國(guó)家移民法律中心(National Immigration Law Center)的執(zhí)行主任瑪麗萊娜·辛卡佩說——她也是拜登和桑德斯共同領(lǐng)導(dǎo)的一個(gè)移民專項(xiàng)工作組的聯(lián)合主席。“我們?cè)纫呀?jīng)為移民政策改革打好了許多基礎(chǔ),而特朗普政府推翻了一切,我認(rèn)為拜登政府的目標(biāo)正是要出臺(tái)合適的法案,讓移民們?cè)诿绹?guó)更加安全、受到更加人道的對(duì)待。”
為解決移民問題,拜登制定了一項(xiàng)總體性的規(guī)劃,正式名稱是《2021年美國(guó)公民法案》(U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021)——該法案可謂多管齊下,旨在為無(wú)證件公民提供取得合法身份的途徑,讓家庭成員不再天各一方,加強(qiáng)對(duì)美國(guó)國(guó)土安全部(Department of Homeland Security)和邊境巡邏隊(duì)(Border Patrol)的監(jiān)督,并有意加大對(duì)中美洲國(guó)家的援助力度,想要通過這一方式,從根源上解決移民的問題。
然而盡管民主黨人在國(guó)會(huì)占多數(shù),即便是拜登計(jì)劃中那些備受歡迎的部分也可能遇到阻力。預(yù)計(jì)眾議院將在本周通過關(guān)于“兒童入境暫緩遣返”計(jì)劃(DACA)和農(nóng)民綠卡身份的兩項(xiàng)法案,但立法者表示,如果通過有望,則必須由參議院修訂。
據(jù)《華盛頓郵報(bào)》(Washington Post)報(bào)道,一些民主黨眾議員表示,他們希望拜登在爭(zhēng)取共和黨人的支持時(shí),能夠采取更多強(qiáng)硬的措施——盡管他們也知道,這會(huì)引起黨內(nèi)進(jìn)步派人士的強(qiáng)烈反對(duì)。但政府似乎愿意做出一些讓步。一位和白宮有密切接觸的移民權(quán)利倡導(dǎo)者告訴了《華盛頓郵報(bào)》一些有關(guān)拜登改革計(jì)劃的消息:“他們并不拘泥于那個(gè)計(jì)劃。他們?cè)敢鉃闊o(wú)證件人士提供一切有可能的救濟(jì)。”
對(duì)許多移民權(quán)利倡導(dǎo)者來(lái)說,“一切有可能的救濟(jì)”或許還不夠,他們希望看到新政府可以做出實(shí)質(zhì)性的改變。他們正準(zhǔn)備給拜登施壓,希望政府能夠進(jìn)一步控制住疫情。
美國(guó)難民及移民教育與法律服務(wù)中心(RAICES)的訴訟事務(wù)主任曼諾吉·戈文達(dá)亞說:“我覺得我們已經(jīng)向拜登做出了一些讓步,積極配合他的政策,因?yàn)槲覀円膊皇遣恢酪咔榈膶?shí)際情況。但只要疫情下的封禁措施取消,社會(huì)再次‘回歸常態(tài)’,我們就不會(huì)再浪費(fèi)時(shí)間,會(huì)立即要求他對(duì)這一問題進(jìn)行更徹底的改革?!?/p>
但是,盡管這些民權(quán)組織可能并不會(huì)那么咄咄逼人地喊話拜登,但他們也沒有在移民問題上全然放過他。上個(gè)月,美國(guó)難民及移民教育與法律服務(wù)中心發(fā)表公告稱,稱該組織感到“既震驚又悲傷”,因?yàn)樗麄兛吹秸匦麻_放了卡里索斯普林斯的兒童移民收留中心,并要求他們立即關(guān)閉。此外,還有報(bào)道稱,拜登準(zhǔn)備在佛羅里達(dá)州霍姆斯特德市重新開放另一個(gè)“集中營(yíng)”,而該中心還面臨著性虐待指控——這也引起了民權(quán)人士的猛烈抨擊。
圣安東尼奧市一名維護(hù)無(wú)人監(jiān)護(hù)兒童權(quán)益的移民律師琳達(dá)·布蘭德米勒說:“我對(duì)本屆政府非常失望——這種強(qiáng)行將兒童交給政府照料的方式在財(cái)政上是不負(fù)責(zé)任的,在道德上是應(yīng)該受到譴責(zé)的,而且也是違法的?!?/p>
讓布蘭德米勒等人擔(dān)憂的還有煽動(dòng)性的媒體報(bào)道——例如把移民的增加稱為“危機(jī)”放在頭版頭條,而有關(guān)移民的右翼言論也可能會(huì)讓拜登步入歧途。拜登想要左右逢源,和兩黨都搞好關(guān)系,避免左派把他和特朗普相提并論,右派又抨擊他對(duì)移民問題處理不當(dāng)。
戈文達(dá)亞說:“我們當(dāng)然不會(huì)幻想自己的愿望——在邊境地區(qū)去軍事化和放棄強(qiáng)制遣返手段等可以在一夜之間實(shí)現(xiàn)。但令人擔(dān)憂的是,散布‘難民危機(jī)’或‘移民涌入’的言論,或者用和特朗普一樣的方式來(lái)解決問題,這些都很容易——因?yàn)槌俏覀兡軌虬堰@些問題解釋清楚,否則[他會(huì)認(rèn)為]自己其實(shí)別無(wú)選擇。”
盡管如此,在特朗普時(shí)代就積極為移民爭(zhēng)取權(quán)益的人們雖然心懷憂慮,但依舊保持樂觀。在拜登的“新官上任三把火”中,就廢除了特朗普的一些移民政策:上任后,他就立即叫停了針對(duì)穆斯林的入境禁令,中止了美墨邊界墻的建設(shè),并指示國(guó)土安全部要加強(qiáng)對(duì)暫緩遣返的兒童移民的法律保護(hù)。此后的幾周內(nèi),拜登政府還恢復(fù)了一項(xiàng)針對(duì)中美洲未成年人的計(jì)劃,即允許21歲以下的未成年人與他們合法生活在美國(guó)的父母團(tuán)聚。
辛卡佩說:“我們知道拜登政府需要時(shí)間,還需要采取行政和立法手段,才可以消除過去四年特朗普的移民政策所造成的傷害。拜登已經(jīng)向世界傳達(dá)了一個(gè)信息,即美國(guó)將再次成為一個(gè)向全球公民敞開懷抱的國(guó)家?!保ㄘ?cái)富中文網(wǎng))
編譯:陳聰聰
3月11日,美國(guó)總統(tǒng)喬·拜登正式簽署了1.9萬(wàn)億美元的新冠疫情紓困法案——該法案的資金規(guī)模之大、覆蓋范圍之廣,以及其中一些略顯激進(jìn)的內(nèi)容,都注定會(huì)載入史冊(cè)。其中還涉及向有子女的家庭提供低保的具體形式。這項(xiàng)法案是拜登上臺(tái)后的第一個(gè)重大政績(jī),而它出臺(tái)的背景則是美國(guó)疫苗接種率提高、疫情大流行也似乎終于迎來(lái)了曙光。
當(dāng)拜登正帶領(lǐng)美國(guó)度過這場(chǎng)致命公共衛(wèi)生危機(jī)的最后階段,他自然會(huì)受到人們的交口稱贊。但一波未平,一波又起——當(dāng)疫情的危機(jī)得到緩解之后,他又難免會(huì)在其他一些重大問題上面臨更多的挑戰(zhàn),其中最重要的一個(gè)便是移民問題。
上周,有消息稱,美國(guó)邊境地區(qū)又涌現(xiàn)了許多兒童移民,白宮新聞秘書珍·普薩基對(duì)此向記者回應(yīng)道:“鑒于許多國(guó)會(huì)議員對(duì)移民問題、邊境局勢(shì)都有著深切的憂慮,現(xiàn)在將這項(xiàng)工作提上議程,不失為一個(gè)合適的時(shí)機(jī)。”
有人表示,拜登的確擬定了許多移民政策,但在落實(shí)過程中困難重重,僅僅是取消前總統(tǒng)唐納德·特朗普的政策——這在移民權(quán)利倡導(dǎo)者看來(lái)是最起碼的——都可能需要他付出一整個(gè)任期的努力。而民主黨的長(zhǎng)期目標(biāo)一直是要對(duì)現(xiàn)有移民制度進(jìn)行真正的改革,這將需要更長(zhǎng)的時(shí)間。
“拜登政府觸及的是政治改革中最復(fù)雜的環(huán)節(jié)之一。”美國(guó)國(guó)家移民法律中心(National Immigration Law Center)的執(zhí)行主任瑪麗萊娜·辛卡佩說——她也是拜登和桑德斯共同領(lǐng)導(dǎo)的一個(gè)移民專項(xiàng)工作組的聯(lián)合主席?!拔覀?cè)纫呀?jīng)為移民政策改革打好了許多基礎(chǔ),而特朗普政府推翻了一切,我認(rèn)為拜登政府的目標(biāo)正是要出臺(tái)合適的法案,讓移民們?cè)诿绹?guó)更加安全、受到更加人道的對(duì)待?!?/p>
為解決移民問題,拜登制定了一項(xiàng)總體性的規(guī)劃,正式名稱是《2021年美國(guó)公民法案》(U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021)——該法案可謂多管齊下,旨在為無(wú)證件公民提供取得合法身份的途徑,讓家庭成員不再天各一方,加強(qiáng)對(duì)美國(guó)國(guó)土安全部(Department of Homeland Security)和邊境巡邏隊(duì)(Border Patrol)的監(jiān)督,并有意加大對(duì)中美洲國(guó)家的援助力度,想要通過這一方式,從根源上解決移民的問題。
然而盡管民主黨人在國(guó)會(huì)占多數(shù),即便是拜登計(jì)劃中那些備受歡迎的部分也可能遇到阻力。預(yù)計(jì)眾議院將在本周通過關(guān)于“兒童入境暫緩遣返”計(jì)劃(DACA)和農(nóng)民綠卡身份的兩項(xiàng)法案,但立法者表示,如果通過有望,則必須由參議院修訂。
據(jù)《華盛頓郵報(bào)》(Washington Post)報(bào)道,一些民主黨眾議員表示,他們希望拜登在爭(zhēng)取共和黨人的支持時(shí),能夠采取更多強(qiáng)硬的措施——盡管他們也知道,這會(huì)引起黨內(nèi)進(jìn)步派人士的強(qiáng)烈反對(duì)。但政府似乎愿意做出一些讓步。一位和白宮有密切接觸的移民權(quán)利倡導(dǎo)者告訴了《華盛頓郵報(bào)》一些有關(guān)拜登改革計(jì)劃的消息:“他們并不拘泥于那個(gè)計(jì)劃。他們?cè)敢鉃闊o(wú)證件人士提供一切有可能的救濟(jì)。”
對(duì)許多移民權(quán)利倡導(dǎo)者來(lái)說,“一切有可能的救濟(jì)”或許還不夠,他們希望看到新政府可以做出實(shí)質(zhì)性的改變。他們正準(zhǔn)備給拜登施壓,希望政府能夠進(jìn)一步控制住疫情。
美國(guó)難民及移民教育與法律服務(wù)中心(RAICES)的訴訟事務(wù)主任曼諾吉·戈文達(dá)亞說:“我覺得我們已經(jīng)向拜登做出了一些讓步,積極配合他的政策,因?yàn)槲覀円膊皇遣恢酪咔榈膶?shí)際情況。但只要疫情下的封禁措施取消,社會(huì)再次‘回歸常態(tài)’,我們就不會(huì)再浪費(fèi)時(shí)間,會(huì)立即要求他對(duì)這一問題進(jìn)行更徹底的改革?!?/p>
但是,盡管這些民權(quán)組織可能并不會(huì)那么咄咄逼人地喊話拜登,但他們也沒有在移民問題上全然放過他。上個(gè)月,美國(guó)難民及移民教育與法律服務(wù)中心發(fā)表公告稱,稱該組織感到“既震驚又悲傷”,因?yàn)樗麄兛吹秸匦麻_放了卡里索斯普林斯的兒童移民收留中心,并要求他們立即關(guān)閉。此外,還有報(bào)道稱,拜登準(zhǔn)備在佛羅里達(dá)州霍姆斯特德市重新開放另一個(gè)“集中營(yíng)”,而該中心還面臨著性虐待指控——這也引起了民權(quán)人士的猛烈抨擊。
圣安東尼奧市一名維護(hù)無(wú)人監(jiān)護(hù)兒童權(quán)益的移民律師琳達(dá)·布蘭德米勒說:“我對(duì)本屆政府非常失望——這種強(qiáng)行將兒童交給政府照料的方式在財(cái)政上是不負(fù)責(zé)任的,在道德上是應(yīng)該受到譴責(zé)的,而且也是違法的。”
讓布蘭德米勒等人擔(dān)憂的還有煽動(dòng)性的媒體報(bào)道——例如把移民的增加稱為“危機(jī)”放在頭版頭條,而有關(guān)移民的右翼言論也可能會(huì)讓拜登步入歧途。拜登想要左右逢源,和兩黨都搞好關(guān)系,避免左派把他和特朗普相提并論,右派又抨擊他對(duì)移民問題處理不當(dāng)。
戈文達(dá)亞說:“我們當(dāng)然不會(huì)幻想自己的愿望——在邊境地區(qū)去軍事化和放棄強(qiáng)制遣返手段等可以在一夜之間實(shí)現(xiàn)。但令人擔(dān)憂的是,散布‘難民危機(jī)’或‘移民涌入’的言論,或者用和特朗普一樣的方式來(lái)解決問題,這些都很容易——因?yàn)槌俏覀兡軌虬堰@些問題解釋清楚,否則[他會(huì)認(rèn)為]自己其實(shí)別無(wú)選擇?!?/p>
盡管如此,在特朗普時(shí)代就積極為移民爭(zhēng)取權(quán)益的人們雖然心懷憂慮,但依舊保持樂觀。在拜登的“新官上任三把火”中,就廢除了特朗普的一些移民政策:上任后,他就立即叫停了針對(duì)穆斯林的入境禁令,中止了美墨邊界墻的建設(shè),并指示國(guó)土安全部要加強(qiáng)對(duì)暫緩遣返的兒童移民的法律保護(hù)。此后的幾周內(nèi),拜登政府還恢復(fù)了一項(xiàng)針對(duì)中美洲未成年人的計(jì)劃,即允許21歲以下的未成年人與他們合法生活在美國(guó)的父母團(tuán)聚。
辛卡佩說:“我們知道拜登政府需要時(shí)間,還需要采取行政和立法手段,才可以消除過去四年特朗普的移民政策所造成的傷害。拜登已經(jīng)向世界傳達(dá)了一個(gè)信息,即美國(guó)將再次成為一個(gè)向全球公民敞開懷抱的國(guó)家?!保ㄘ?cái)富中文網(wǎng))
編譯:陳聰聰
On March 11, President Joe Biden signed a $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill, historic for its scope, size, and some of its radical content, including a form of guaranteed basic income for families with children. The legislation is Biden’s first big win in the White House, and it arrives at a time as vaccination rates increase and the pandemic appears to be on the verge of receding.
When it does, Biden will undoubtedly be praised for leading the country through the hopefully final phase of a deadly public health crisis. But with one crisis addressed, he will inevitably face more scrutiny on his handling of other major issues, the foremost of which is shaping up to be immigration.
“Given all of the concern by many in Congress about immigration and what’s happening at the border, this sure seems like a good time to move that initiative forward,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters last week, referring to recent news of an increase in migrant children at the border.
Biden faces an uphill battle to realizing many of his proposed immigration policies, and merely undoing President Donald Trump’s—the bare minimum, according to immigrant rights advocates—may take all of his first term, some say. Truly transforming the immigration system, a longtime much-deferred goal of Democrats’, will take even longer.
“The Biden administration has inherited one of the most complicated areas of policy changes,” said Marielena Hincapié, the executive director of the National Immigration Law Center and a co-chair of the Biden-Sanders unity task force on immigration. “The Trump administration decimated the infrastructure and the staffing our country needs to have proper legal channels to treat immigrants safely and humanely, which I believe is the goal of the Biden administration.”
Biden’s comprehensive plan for tackling the issue is formally known as the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021, a multi-pronged proposal that aims to provide a pathway to citizenship for the undocumented, end family separation, increase oversight of Department of Homeland Security and Border Patrol, and address a root cause of immigration by increasing federal assistance to Central American countries.
But while Democrats are in the majority, even the more popular aspects of Biden’s plan may be difficult to pass. While two upcoming bills related to DACA and green card status for farmers are expected to sail through the House this week, lawmakers say it will have to be reworked in the Senate if there’s any hope of it passing.
According to the Washington Post, some House Democrats are looking to include more enforcement measures in Biden’s plan to win over more Republican support, though they know it would trigger backlash from the progressive wing of the party. For the administration’s part, however, it seems they’re willing to make compromises. “They’re not wedded to that plan,” an advocate close to the White House told the Post of Biden’s sweeping proposal. “They’re willing to make any relief for the undocumented.”
“Any relief” may not be good enough for many immigrant rights advocates, who want to see substantial change from the new administration. They’re preparing to dial up the pressure on Biden, as they look forward to having the virus under control.
“I think we are giving him a little bit of a pass because we have some sense of the realities of COVID,” said Manoj Govindaiah, the director of litigation services at RAICES. “But once the restrictions are gone, and we return to quote unquote ‘normal,’ we’re not going to be wasting any time in pushing him to be bold in how he moves forward.”
But while advocacy groups may have allowed Biden a kind of amnesty period, they haven’t completely let him off the hook. Last month, RAICES published a press release stating that the group was “shocked and saddened” to see that the administration had reopened the Carrizo Springs center and called for it to be closed immediately. Advocates have also railed against the Biden administration for reportedly preparing to reopen another emergency detention center in Homestead, Florida, which has faced allegations of sexual abuse.
“It’s fiscally irresponsible, morally reprehensible, and it doesn’t legally comply with the way children are supposed to be detained under government care,” said Linda Brandmiller, an immigration lawyer in San Antonio who represents unaccompanied minors. “I’m bitterly disappointed in this administration.”
Brandmiller and others also worry that what some would term inflammatory media coverage—headlines describing an increase of incoming migrants as a “crisis,” for example—and right-wing talking points on immigration can have the effect of prodding Biden in the wrong direction. Committed to bipartisanship, Biden will want to appease both sides of the aisle, avoiding any comparisons to Trump on the left as well as any criticism of mishandling immigration on the right.
“The things we want—a demilitarization of the border and getting rid of the law enforcement approach—I don’t think they’re going to happen over night,” Govindaiah said. “The worry is that it might be easy to say there’s this ‘crisis’ or ‘influx’ and use some of the same tools Trump used to address it because [he thinks] there’s no choice until we figure something else out.”
Nonetheless, a feeling of cautious optimism prevails among those who helped migrants through the Trump years. Many of Biden’s day one executive orders included rollbacks to Trump-era immigration policies: Upon taking office, Biden immediately ended the Muslim ban, halted construction of the U.S.-Mexico border wall, and directed the Department of Homeland Security to strengthen legal protections for DACA recipients. In the weeks since, the Biden administration has also reinstated the Central American Minors program, which allows children under 21 to be reunited with parents living lawfully in the U.S.
“We know that it’s going to take time and require both administrative and legislative action for the Biden administration to undo the harm of the last four years,” Hincapie said. “Biden is already sending a message to the world that the U.S. is once again a welcoming nation.”