Dekada prepares to carry on fight to DC

The Dekada movement is now preparing to petition the U.S. Congress to grant its members U.S. permanent residency, disclosing that one of its officials recently obtained a U.S. visa for a trip to Washington, D.C.

The group’s official, who requested anonymity, obtained the U.S. visa from the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines last Dec. 29. An American consul at the embassy granted the official a single-entry visa that is valid until April 2005.

Dekada president Bonifacio Sagana said the official would be part of the group’s delegation that would go to Washington, D.C. to petition the U.S. Congress for permanent residency—commonly referred to as green card—for its members. The delegation will include Dekada’s attorney, Stephen Woodruff.

Dekada is composed of alien workers who have lawfully resided in the Commonwealth for at least five consecutive years. Its members have reached at least 3,000.

The group wants to improve its members’ immigration status in the CNMI, as alien workers, who are contractual employees, do not have security of tenure with their jobs.

“We are also human. There are many alien workers who have spent a great portion of their lives here as productive individuals, have started their own family and raised children. Some of them are already growing old here,” Sagana added.

Federal immigration rules allow aliens lawfully living in the United States for five consecutive years to apply for permanent residency status. The group will ask the U.S. Congress to pass a legislation that will grant its members U.S. permanent residency status, despite the CNMI immigration’s autonomy.

Earlier, Sagana said most of the group’s members have children who are U.S. citizens and have practically spent their lives in the Commonwealth for more than 10 years. These workers have diverse nationalities such as Filipino, Bangladeshi, Thai, and Nepalese, among others.

Eligible for membership to Dekada are those aliens who have proof of at least five consecutive years of lawful stay in the Commonwealth. Dekada has been collecting $100 from each member.

Interior deputy assistant secretary for insular affairs David Cohen earlier cautioned Dekada members that relying on false hope might make them vulnerable to exploitation.

According to Cohen, there is no hope for the Dekada movement to succeed in obtaining U.S. permanent residency for its members, saying that granting them green cards would be inconsistent with the special arrangement between the federal government and the Commonwealth regarding immigration.

Cohen had said the federal government would not allow the Commonwealth to continue to control its own immigration if decisions by CNMI immigration authorities could be binding on U.S. immigration authorities.

Dekada’s attorney brushed aside Cohen’s statement, saying that the Cabinet member has no authority regarding the immigration policy of the United States. According to Woodruff, passing legislation that would grant permanent residency status to Dekada members falls under the province of the U.S. Congress.

Woodruff pointed out that Dekada members deserve to obtain improved long-term residence status, citing their contributions to the CNMI’s economy. The lawyer had also indicated that the group is open to any other means of improving the immigration status of its members.