紐時賞析／越界入美人數激增 拜登移民政策大轉彎、和四年前的川普更相近

美国边境巡逻官2023年在新墨西哥州桑兰公园市值勤。（纽约时报）

Crisis on Border Dashes Biden Immigration Hopes

边界人潮涌现 粉碎拜登移民政策愿景

On President Joe Biden’s first day in office, he paused nearly all deportations. He vowed to end the harsh practices of the Trump administration, show compassion toward those wishing to come to the United States and secure the southern border.

美国总统拜登上任的第一天，他暂停了几乎全部的驱逐出境。他宣誓要终止川普政府的严厉作法，对那些希望来到美国的人展现同情心，并让美国南方边界变得安全。

For Biden, it was a matter of principle. He wanted to show the world that the United States was a humane nation, while also demonstrating to his fellow citizens that government could work again.

对拜登来说，这是原则问题。他想要向世界展示，美国是一个人道国家，同时也向他的同胞证明，政府可以再次运作。

But those early promises have largely been set aside as chaos engulfs the border and imperils Biden’s reelection hopes. The number of people crossing into the United States has reached record levels, more than double than in the Trump years. The asylum system is still all but broken.

然而，随着混乱吞噬边界并危及拜登连任希望，那些早先的承诺大多已搁置。越界进入美国的人数创下新高，是川普执政年间的两倍以上。庇护系统依然是几乎残破。

During his campaign for the White House in 2020, Biden pledged to limit raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, invest in the asylum system and close private immigration prisons.

在2020年争夺白宫的选战期间，拜登保证会限制移民和海关执法局的突袭搜查、投资于庇护系统并关闭私人移民监狱。

When children from Central America started crossing by the thousands in spring 2021, the president’s first instinct was compassion. Biden believed he was elected to deal with immigration in a humane manner.

2021年春天，当来自中美洲的儿童成千上万开始越过边界时，拜登总统的第一个反应是同情。拜登相信，他当选是为了以人道方式处理移民。

Some of the circumstances that have created the crisis are out of Biden’s control, such as the collapse of Venezuela, a surge in migration around the world and the obstinance of Republicans who have tried to thwart his efforts to address the problems.

造成这场危机的一些情况不受拜登控制，例如委内瑞拉崩溃，世界各地移民激增，以及共和党人一意孤行试图阻挠他解决这些问题的努力。

Biden went from a 2020 candidate who vowed to “end Trump’s assault on the dignity of immigrant communities” to a 2024 president who is “willing to make significant compromises on the border.”

拜登从宣誓要「终止川普攻击移民社群尊严」的2020年候选人，变成「愿意在边界做出重大妥协」的2024年总统。

The people demanding border security were no longer just Republicans. They were members of Biden’s own party.

要求边界安全的人不再只是共和党员。他们是拜登自己政党的成员。

The administration scrambled to meet the Democratic demands, providing more money and speeding up the processing of work permits.

政府忙着满足民主党的要求，提供更多经费与加速工作许可的办理。

But the busing of migrants clearly shifted the discourse around the issue. And polling began to show growing support in the United States for border measures once denounced by Democrats and championed by Trump.

但移民巴士政策无疑转移了围绕这个问题的论述。民调开始显示，曾经受到民主党人谴责与川普拥护的边界措施，在美国获得愈来愈多支持。

As he campaigns for a second term in the White House, Biden has become unapologetic in his calls for more, and stricter, enforcement at the border. He now appears ready to run more as a leader determined to keep people out and less as a champion of displaced people.

在竞选第二个白宫任期之际，拜登如今毫无愧意的呼吁更多且更加严格的边境执法措施。他现在似乎准备以决心把人们拒于门外的领袖身分竞选，而不是流离失所民众的捍卫者。

文／Michael D. Shear, Hamed Aleaziz and Zolan Kanno-Youngs  译／周辰阳