Previous Story
House tries to give jobs to NMI immigration officers
|
Posted on Nov 16 2008
The House of Representatives on Friday passed a bill allowing the transfer of local immigration personnel to positions within the CNMI government, in a bid to keep them with jobs when the federal government assumes control of the Commonwealth’s immigration system in June 2009.
The House voted 17-1 to approve the bill after meeting with Immigration Director Melvin Grey and his staff to discuss the uncertain employment status of the 68 local immigration officers. Rep. Tina Sablan voted against the bill because of concerns about the government’s ability to fund the jobs being promised to the employees.
Under the bill, now bound for a Senate vote, the employees expected to be displaced by the “federalization” of CNMI immigration will be granted jobs, for which they qualify, elsewhere in the local government.
But even Grey and an immigration officer who spoke at the meeting Friday expressed doubts whether the government is in a position to guarantee lateral transfers.
“Can the government really afford to absorb us?” asked Vince Lizama, who has worked at the Division of Immigration for 18 years. “This fiscal year, probably yes. After that, what? Are we going to be furloughed like the others?”
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is now conducting a nationwide hiring program for immigration and customs personnel to be assigned in the Commonwealth. But while the law calls for special consideration for local officers applying for the federal immigration jobs, Grey says his personnel are not getting such treatment. The DHS, he adds, has been unresponsive to his suggestions and repeated requests for information.
According to Grey, less than 10 of the 68 local immigration officers have a chance to qualify for the federal jobs. The rest are automatically disqualified because they are over the age limit of 37 or do not meet the requirement of at least three years work experience, among other reasons.
