Governor ‘deeply concerned’ about Obama’s latest immigration policy

Press secretary Angel Demapan said yesterday that Gov. Benigno R. Fitial is “deeply concerned” about the “potential for fraud” in President Barack Obama’s latest immigration policy stopping the deportation of certain young illegal immigrants from American soil for a period of two years if they meet certain criteria.

“While President Obama’s policy is effective immediately, it will likely take months to implement. There’s no procedure to follow or form to fill out at this time. And with much still unknown the governor is deeply concerned about the potential for fraud,” Demapan told Saipan Tribune.

Worker groups in the CNMI, however, welcome Obama’s latest immigration policy which target federal resources at illegal immigrations who pose a greater threat, such as criminals and those trying to enter the country now.

The United Workers Movement-NMI, Dekada Movement, and Marianas Advocates for Humanitarian Affairs Ltd. or Mahal estimate that dozens in the CNMI could benefit from this latest immigration policy.

Under the new policy contained in U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano’s June 15 memo, people younger than 30 who came to the United States before the age of 16, and were successful students or served in the military can get a two-year deferral from deportation.

The DHS memo also allows those meeting the requirements to apply for work permits.

Participants must be in the United States now and be able to prove they have been living in the country continuously for at least five years.

The Fitial administration said for a period of two years, those who qualify will not face deportation and they will be eligible for a work permit, “which will allow them to obtain sought-after government identification such as a driver’s license and a Social Security number.”

“The key factor here is that those who meet the criteria will be eligible for a work permit. This means that there must be an employer willing to hire first,” Demapan said.

The CNMI is facing high unemployment rate among locals and foreigners, coupled with work hour cuts, as the economy continues to tank.

“What is important to note, before people get misled yet again, is that the president’s new policy does not bestow any sort of substantive right, immigration status or pathway to citizenship. An action as such would need to be done by way of an Act of Congress,” Demapan said.

He said the White House can only set policies, or regulate, within the parameters of existing governing statutes.

“That said, those unaffected by the criteria set forth by the White House should continue to honor all existing laws governing immigration and foreign labor,” he added.

Worker groups are optimistic that Obama, as well as the U.S. Congress, could also be sympathetic to the plight of long-term legal foreign workers in the CNMI who have been asking for improved immigration status for years and decades.

“If the president can help those who have been considered illegal, I don’t see why he can’t help those who came to the CNMI legally and have lawfully contributed to the CNMI economy for a number of years,” UWM-NMI president Rabby Syed had said.

Florida-based human rights activist Wendy Doromal is working on an outreach campaign to educate members of the U.S. Congress on the history and present plight of the long-term foreign workers in the CNMI and their families. He said they need to emphasize these long-term workers’ “legal” status.