Good turnout for ‘protected status’ presentation for Nepalese community

A presentation on the granting of “temporary protected status” to members of the Nepalese community drew a sizable crowd Friday evening at the American Memorial Park auditorium.

The presentation was conducted by the law firm Mailman and Kara.

Law firm partner Bruce Mailman said the turnout was “good” considering that the Nepalese community on Saipan is quite small.

“We had about 25 adults. It is a small community,” he said.

Mailman stressed that the presentation was an outreach program, and he hopes there will be a “ripple” effect for members of this community.

He added that most of the questions on the presentation were related to concerns about those who are out of status.

Other Nepalese citizens who are in status also asked if they can apply for the “temporary protected status,” Mailman said.

Mailman said they would advise those who have good status “to think twice before jumping to a new status.”

“If you do not have status or not in good status, or you are unhappy with your situation, then maybe you can get a protected status,” he said, adding that one can then get an EAD or employment authorization document so that you can “have opportunities thereafter.”

Attorney Maya B. Kara said a “temporary protected status” can give members of the Nepalese community some breathing room, particularly those working for embattled Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino.

She said the ”temporary protected status” is being made available for residents of countries that have been affected by ecological disasters, such as Nepal and Haiti.

Kara said what the temporary status does is protect Nepalese citizens from being “removed” from the CNMI.

She said Nepalese citizens can apply for the status starting June. The application period is good for six months, while the temporary protected status is good for 18 months.

Kara said Nepalese citizens should “take advantage of it, particularly those who are out of status.” She said on Tinian alone, there more than 100 Nepalese who might be in limbo.

Kara said this is also an opportunity for “undocumented” citizens of Nepal—if there are any—in the CNMI to apply for a status.

Kara said once an application is approved, a Nepalese citizen can then apply for a CW or any other status. “The temporary protected status gives them some breathing room,” Kara said.