CBP imposes penalties on airlines

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it imposes penalties on airlines and holds airline carriers responsible for the return of aliens to their home countries.

Although the amount of the penalty was not disclosed by CBP, the federal agency expects the airlines to shoulder the responsibility of bringing aliens that enter the CNMI through parole authority back to their country of departure after their 45-day stay in the CNMI.

“The carrier is responsible for providing positive space to return aliens to their point of foreign departure. A provision of the Conditional Parole is that the applicant possess a non-refundable round-trip ticket,” CBP public affairs liaison Francis Falcon wrote to Saipan Tribune in an email.

According to Falcon, CBP always had the authority to penalize a carrier for failure to remove a passenger on notice from CBP to remove said passenger.

“Once ordered to remove the passenger, the carrier may be held responsible for the expenses of providing security, lodging, and meals to the passenger until the removal is affected,” wrote Falcon.

“CBP has invoked these authorities on Saipan for recent cases,” he added.

Falcon did not disclose specifics for the ongoing investigation, as “CBP cannot provide any details on pending litigation or individual cases under investigation.”

Saipan Tribune contacted a number of airlines that are possibly associated with the penalty imposed by CBP for a statement, but to no avail.

The penalty by CBP was brought up due to the ongoing illegal worker situation on Saipan associated with the construction of the multimillion-dollar Imperial Pacific Resort. Three contractors and subcontractors hired by Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC to construct the resort, namely Beilida Overseas (CNMI), Gold Mantis, and MCC International, have all been allegedly involved with unlawfully hiring aliens and bringing in and harboring certain aliens.

Xiufang Qi and Wencai Guo of Beilida were stopped and arrested last April 5 at the Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport while the two were reportedly attempting to leave the CNMI.

According to multiple protesters, officials from Gold Mantis are nowhere to be found after the Chinese construction company promised to pay its workers their unpaid wages that go back all the way to early 2017. Workers from Golden Mantis have protested over their unpaid wages multiple times.

Construction workers of MCC International share the same fate, however it was not specified by the protesters whether MCC officials are still on island or if they have already received their wages.

Rep. Vinson Sablan (Ind-Saipan) has reached out to House Speaker Rafael Demapan (R-Saipan), through a letter, his intent to submit an official request to a meeting between MCC officials and all members of the 20th House of Representatives, however a response from Demapan is yet to be known.

The meeting was called for based on “numerous unanswered questions from fellow representatives as well as questions that were raised by our constituents in light of recent issues.”