Tinian readies for illegal immigrants

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio has placed local authorities on alert after the federal government asked the Northern Marianas again to host a new batch of suspected illegal Chinese immigrants believed to be heading toward Guam.

He has already mobilized key government agencies in anticipation of the arrival on Tinian of a boat carrying some 150 undocumented aliens from mainland China sighted last week by U.S. Coast Guard near the Marianas territorial waters.

Dozens of local police officers and immigration agents have been “in position” on the island municipality since last Friday to await their arrival, which was scheduled either late last night or early morning today, according to CNMI officials.

According to an administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, federal authorities have “blocked out exact arrival time” of the boat, although he has instructed his staff to provide assistance once the suspected illegal immigrants reach shore.

From the San Jose harbor, the illegal immigrants are expected to be hustled to the nearby Hofschneider’s warehouse for temporary shelter before their immediate repatriation, another officials said.

This would be the fifth boatload of undocumented aliens that has been diverted to the CNMI since April 17, when the island government first agreed to play host in efforts to help Guam deal with the worsening immigration crisis.

It also came nearly two months after the last batch of close to 500 illegal immigrants held on Tinian had been sent home by both CNMI and federal authorities.

In an interview Friday, Tenorio disclosed several officials from the White House, including Ferdinand Aranza, acting director of the Office of Insular Affairs, had called him up as early as last Thursday to inform the island government of the “possibility of another boat heading to Tinian.”

Local authorities have since been in constant touch with the Immigration and Naturalization Service to prepare for the boat’s arrival, such as installation of makeshift shelters to house these people.

“Our agencies are getting together and working on all necessary arrangement and we are working closely with INS people,” the governor said.

Asked whether the federal government would set up “tent cities” anew on the island, the governor said he believes so, “if the boat arrives on Tinian, we have to find them shelter.”

Likewise, the local chief executive explained Washington has assured CNMI of reimbursement of all the costs that will be incurred from hosting this latest batch of illegal immigrants.

So far, the Tenorio administration has submitted charges totaling to more than $500,000, which represented expenditures for the two-month operations, such as overtime pay for police officers, meals for the Chinese and rental of buses.

“I have confidence that the reimbursement is forthcoming,” Tenorio said. “We have already submitted the partial billing and the (Department of Finance) might have submitted all the billings at this time.”

The Departments of Labor and Immigration, Public Safety, Public Works as well as Public Health and the Public School System have included their unpaid charges in the report.

The federal government has promised to reimburse the CNMI after it made Tinian holding camps for these undocumented aliens, who were believed to be victims of human smuggling syndicate operating in China, primarily in Fujian province.

At least two dozens of suspected ring leaders caught aboard their boats have been charged in the federal court and one has pled guilty to the felony offense.