1.6K denied entry to NMI

U.S Customs and Border Protection has refused entry to more than 1,600 persons that they suspect would come to the CNMI for unlawful purposes.

According to CBP field operations director Brian J. Humphrey, they have upgraded their screening process in determining persons or individuals whom they think would be a risk to the CNMI.

Humphrey, who attended Gov. Ralph DLG Torres’ second State of the Commonwealth Address last Friday, told Saipan Tribune that issues on birth tourism and construction workers that entered the CNMI as tourists using the parole authority program were some of the reasons for CBP’s tighter screening measures.

“We’ve enacted a number of measures to protect the community from those that wish to come here for unlawful purposes. We’re doing our part,” said Humphrey. “We’ve learned to become pretty good at determining suspicious factors that we need to look at when there’s concern, if someone who’ll come here would become a public charge.”

He added that they are collaborating with other law enforcement agencies. “We’ve implemented a number of measures and we’re working closely with our partners such as the [Federal Bureau of Investigation]. We had a number of successes in intercepting individuals and sending them back home.”

“Last year, when I visited [Saipan] in February, from fiscal year [2017] to date, we had more than 1,600 persons that were expeditiously moved.

“So, we’ve gotten a whole lot better at intercepting individuals coming here for unlawful purposes,” he said.

Humphrey said the number of interceptions they made just show that their efforts are bearing fruit.

“Our numbers speak well of that worth. We’re fighting as many as we can and sending them home so that they don’t pose a threat and they don’t add to the public costs. We’re going to continue to do our part, working with our partners.”

Birth tourism in the CNMI and last year’s issue where construction workers entered the Commonwealth as tourists using a parole authority program became flashpoints and resulted in many overstaying tourists being kicked out of the Commonwealth.

CBP said last year that majority of the 1,032 that entered the CNMI as tourists overstayed on Saipan and worked illegally in several companies that somehow abused the parole authority and that could pose problems to legal visitors.