How to get through to Congress

The U.S. Congress consists of the Senate and the House of Representative. There are 435 voting members in the lower house and 100 voting members in the upper house. The U.S. House of the Representatives and Senate address issues affecting their constituents and they will entertain anyone within their congressional district. It is a common practice and courtesy for a U.S. congressional district not to entertain any person from another district.

In the mid-’90s, I contacted the office of U.S. Rep. Henry John Hyde (R-Illinois) relating to our constituents’ immigration issue. Honorable Hyde was chairman on the Committee on the Judiciary in the House of Representative. My request was forwarded to our congressional district representative in California and our congressional representative was U.S. Rep. George Radanovich (R-Calif.). Within eight months after I communicated with the office of Honorable Radanovich, our constituents were afforded to become U.S. citizens through the naturalization process. Mr. Radanovich knew that the non-profit I represent has about 15,000 people living within his congressional district. From that day on, I knew that groups of people will make a difference when pushing an agenda through Congress and the outcome was always favorable.

Based on our observation, the contract workers in the CNMI are misdirecting their efforts to be afforded permanent immigration status in the CNMI. Congress will never entertain any person out of his/her congressional district, let alone from a non-voting delegate district. Someone needs to step up to the plate, contact each one of the non-profit organizations in the 435 U.S. House of Representatives’ districts. Request the assistance of the non-profits organizations to communicate with their respective congressman or congresswoman to implement the Department of Interior’s recommendation, giving the contract workers in the CNMI immigration status.

All contract workers in the CNMI should communicate with their family in the United States, so their family members in the U.S. can request for their congressional representative to support giving their relatives in the CNMI the opportunity to become the newest members of the United States family. All contract workers’ children serving in the U.S. Armed Forces stationed stateside or attending higher education in the United States should write to their congressman or senator in their respective district to afford their parents the opportunity to have immigration status in the CNMI. The sweet thing about the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, they will entertain anyone within their district even if such a person is not registered to vote or is a non-U.S. citizen.

One factor that prevents contract workers from getting an immigration status in the CNMI is that their movement leaders are not receptive to getting any help from other sources. They are fixated with getting help from one person and several groups to achieve their goals. In the United States, you need every help you can get in order to achieve the unthinkable. Good luck our brothers sisters and never give up.