Status petition garners over 700 signatures

The Human Dignity Movement has collected over 700 signatures for a petition that seeks to obtain a more permanent immigration status for long-term guest workers.

The petition, which aims to collect 5,000 signatures, will be forwarded to federal government agencies to urge them to establish federal permanent status and an “eventual pathway to citizenship for the legal long-term guest workers, for parents of U.S. citizen children who live and work in the CNMI and for those new guest workers that the government will need to invite to the U.S. to perform the jobs that many U.S. citizens in the CNMI shun or are not trained to perform.”

According to Human Dignity Movement leader Jerry Custodio, the petition is expected to collect at least 5,000 in a matter of two weeks. After two weeks, scanned copies will be sent to human rights activist Wendy Doromal who will then distribute them to various agencies in the U.S. mainland.

The petition is addressed to members of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Natural Resources, House Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, and the Human Rights Watch.

The petition states that, while it is true that guest workers were not promised resident status or a pathway to citizenship when they were recruited, many have already lived in the CNMI between five and 30 years, or even more.

“Some of us have spent more years of our lives in the CNMI than in our homelands,” stated the petition.

“The argument that guest workers entered the CNMI knowing that their entry for work would not qualify them for a permanent status, thus they should not be granted one, is not a fair one.”

“We are not claiming a right; we are making an appeal for fairness and justice,” the petition states.

Custodio said any long-term guest workers who would like to add their signature to the petition are encouraged to call any of the officers of the Human Dignity Movement at 233-0052.

Custodio said that the Human Dignity Movement would also like to reiterate the group’s strong support for Rep. Tina Sablan’s proposed bill to grant a more permanent status for long term guest workers in the CNMI.