[ti:US Congress Proposes Law to Give Citizenship to Millions] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]Democratic Party lawmakers in the United States Congress [00:04.40]introduced immigration legislation last Thursday. [00:09.60]The proposed law would create an eight-year path to citizenship [00:14.56]for millions of undocumented immigrants in the United States. [00:20.00]The legislation would also provide a faster path to citizenship [00:24.56]for those brought to the country illegally as children. [00:29.44]Under the bill, immigrants who are not legally in the country [00:33.92]can apply to become legal if they were in the United States [00:37.88]on or before January 1, 2021. [00:43.76]They must pay all required costs [00:46.60]and, in most cases, must not have a criminal record. [00:52.48]There are special requirements for Temporary Protected Status holders, [00:57.72]agricultural workers and those who arrived in the United States as children. [01:03.92]Such children are known as Dreamers. [01:09.12]Hassan Ahmad is an immigration lawyer in the state of Virginia. [01:15.00]He told VOA, "Having a criminal record [01:18.60]or certain types of crimes on your record, [01:21.52]or if you're a national security concern...would serve [01:24.76]to prevent you...from getting relief under the bill." [01:29.68]The first step for applicants would be to secure lawful [01:33.56]prospective immigrant status, or LPI. [01:38.24]That is a way to have legal permanent residence in the United States. [01:43.44]LPI status would be effective for six years. [01:49.44]But immigrants would have to wait at least five years [01:53.00]to apply for legal permanent residence, [01:55.56]also known as green card status. [01:59.88]They would be required to pass security investigations [02:04.00]and pay all taxes required by U.S. law. [02:09.40]After three years of green card status, [02:12.32]an immigrant would be able to apply for U.S. citizenship. [02:17.80]Someone with LPI status could legally work and travel outside the U.S. [02:24.08]and be lawfully admitted back into the country. [02:29.00]Those going through the LPI process [02:31.92]would be protected from being expelled from the country [02:35.36]while the government is deciding their applications. [02:40.72]Those living temporarily in the United States [02:44.12]or visiting the country with a visa [02:46.72]would not be covered under the bill. [02:50.68]Those who can be or already are a part [02:54.12]of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program [02:57.76]will be able to apply directly for a green card. [03:02.68]Other groups that may apply directly [03:05.44]include Temporary Protected Status holders [03:08.68]and those who have been agricultural workers [03:11.56]for at least five years. [03:14.84]These groups must then wait five years [03:18.12]to be eligible for U.S. citizenship. [03:22.80]Under current immigration law, [03:25.00]those who stay in the U.S. illegally [03:27.60]for more than 180 days but less than one year [03:31.60]are banned for three years from returning to the U.S. [03:36.92]Those who are unlawfully present for more than one year [03:40.64]are banned for 10 years. [03:44.12]The bill calls for ending the three- and 10-year bans [03:48.76]on people who lived in the United States illegally and then left. [03:54.76]The United States is also preparing to admit [03:57.88]up to 125,000 refugees each year beginning in October. [04:04.96]That is an increase from a 15,000-refugee limit [04:09.36]at the end of the administration of former President Donald Trump. [04:15.28]The announcement could change the lives of people [04:18.48]like Abdirizak Noor Ibrahim. [04:21.92]Ibrahim is originally from Somalia. [04:25.36]He left the country in 2004 and became a refugee in Nairobi, Kenya. [04:33.44]Ibrahim and his family were approved [04:36.04]to travel to the U.S. for resettlement in early 2017. [04:42.12]However, then President Trump signed orders restricting travel [04:47.32]from several countries including Somalia. [04:52.04]Ibrahim told VOA that he felt bad hearing about the ban. [04:58.40]"But now, I am so hopeful since there is a change of administrations, [05:02.80]I will be accepted and taken to the country," he said. [05:08.40]The president decides the upper limit of admitted refugees in October [05:13.88]and sends the plans to Congress. [05:17.52]Yael Schacher is with Refugee International. [05:21.72]She said over 35,000 refugees had been approved [05:26.04]by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services [05:29.80]as of December 2020. [05:33.56]The U.S. State Department says about 11,814 refugees [05:39.56]arrived in the United States in 2020. [05:44.08]Schacher said, "People who are resettled in the United States already, [05:48.92]who came as refugees, have the ability to apply [05:52.52]to have their family members to resettle as refugees, as well." [05:58.24]Supporters of Trump's immigration plan warn against [06:02.12]undoing policies they consider important to America's safety. [06:08.04]Lora Ries is a researcher at The Heritage Foundation, [06:12.00]a conservative research group. [06:15.28]She said there was a study of the program [06:17.80]for security investigations of refugees [06:20.52]at the beginning of the Trump administration. [06:24.28]She said that policy should be repeated by future administrations. [06:30.56]"It should not be thrown out by the new administration [06:34.00]just because Trump's name was attached to it," she told VOA. [06:40.08]I'm Jonathan Evans. [06:41.84]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM