‘Occupy USCIS’ starts campaign to seek parole for all legal workers

What was hatched as a peaceful vigil in front of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Garapan was renamed yesterday noon as “Occupy USCIS,” inspired by the “Occupy Wall Street” movement in the U.S. mainland and other countries.

Rabby Syed, president of United Workers Movement-NMI, said that Occupy USCIS seeks to ask USCIS to grant parole-in-place to “all legal alien workers” until Congress initiates legislation to grant these individuals improved immigration status.

USCIS is one of the component agencies of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

While only up to two dozens showed up yesterday afternoon, the crowd grew to some 60 around 8pm. Syed believes more nonresidents and their supporters will be joining as days go by leading to Nov. 27.

After Nov. 27, jobless nonresidents lose their status and could face deportation.

Syed reiterated that there’s a short period between the Sept. 7 release of the final worker regulations and Nov. 27, when nonresidents are supposed to have a legal employer that will petition them for a transitional worker permit.

He said the economy is making it difficult for aliens to find jobs in such a short span of time, so they should be given parole-in-place.

“Please grant us parole-in-place,” reads some of the banners that Occupy USCIS participants were holding yesterday. They stood near the USCIS office, under the trees. When the rain started pouring, they sought refuge under a makeshift tent. Organizers are seeking donations of food and water, as they plan to turn it into a 24-hour vigil.

Syed added that legal aliens in the CNMI should be treated differently from illegal immigrants in the U.S.

“Like I said several times, nonresident came here legally, they pay taxes, they have Social Security numbers. We deserve to be entertained under a different mechanism. They need to find out some way to [address our issues],” he said during the first day of Occupy USCIS yesterday.

Estelita Macale, 54, was one of those near the USCIS office yesterday.

“I’m here because I support the request for parole-in-place for all,” Macale said.

She said she’s been on Saipan for 15 years, and lost her job in 2009. She said she couldn’t leave her 13-year-old U.S. citizen son on Saipan so she is trying to make ends meet by working part-time. She said she’s trying hard to find a full-time job, and she wants parole-in-place so she could still have legal status after Nov. 27 if she can’t find an employer by then.

“My son said if I go home to the Philippines he would just kill himself. I fear that,” she said, adding that she’s also been preparing the requirements to file an application for parole-in-place for humanitarian reason.

Dario Costales, 57, said while he has an employer who will file a CW petition for him, he’s showing his support to fellow foreign workers here. He came to Saipan in1985 to work as a heavy equipment mechanic. He now works as a scuba diver.

Larry Pamfilo, 61, said that, while he’s still currently employed as a maintenance worker for a private residence, his employer told him that his contract will no longer be renewed after 17 years.

“So now, if I find a new employer, that would be good. I would love to remain here, and I would love to be given a chance to stay here,” said the father of four who was able to send all his four children to college in the Philippines while working on Saipan. He said all his children now have college degrees.