‘4th group’ may be removed from HR 1466

The fourth group of people covered in Delegate Gregorio Kilili Sablan’s (Ind-MP) H.R. 1466-mostly foreign parents of minor U.S. citizen children-may be removed from the bill that proposes a “CNMI-only resident status” to four groups of people as “compromise” with mostly Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives.

HR 1466 has been stalled but is still in union calendar.

Sablan, when asked for comment last night, said he is “still in conversation with other members of Congress and that there has been some progress in that conversation, but there are still outstanding issues.”

Among those outstanding issues is the fourth group of people that HR 1466 proposes to help-those who are immediate relatives of U.S. citizens as of May 8, 2008, regardless of the age of those U.S. citizens, and continuing to be on the islands with legal status. The issue is that allowing this class of people to get some form of status could set a precedent on U.S. soil.

“It is not my intention to change HR 1466. But in Congress, as in any legislature, legislating something requires negotiation and maybe compromise but at this time, there has been no decision made on HR 1466 except progress,” Sablan told Saipan Tribune.

No immigration bill has moved in the 112th Congress except Sablan’s HR 1466.

The three other groups covered in HR 1466 are CNMI permanent residents, those born in the CNMI between Jan. 1, 1974, and Jan. 9, 1978, and the spouses, parents or children of U.S. citizens under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Members and leaders of workers’ groups interviewed yesterday said they have heard about the status of HR 1466 from Sablan as early as last week, and what this bill’s final form could be for it to move in Congress.

“I think that it’s much better to have this bill pass the House without the fourth group rather than have the bill die and not help anyone at all,” said one of the worker groups’ leaders who asked that his name be withheld at this time.

Another worker group leader, Rene Reyes of the Marianas Advocates for Humanitarian Affairs Ltd., hopes that the fourth group of people “will not be removed from the bill” because a lot of these people have pinned their hopes on this legislation.

“Like many others, they have contributed to this economy and have U.S. citizen children who have not known of any home other than the CNMI. HR 1466 is their only hope now because the Interior recommendations have not been acted on by Congress for years,” Reyes said.

While he and others understand that HR 1466 and its authors are almost pinned to the wall just so the bill could help at least three groups of people, he said it would be a sad day for the fourth group when they are eventually removed from the bill.

This is an election year in the U.S. and the CNMI.

“I hope that if the fourth group is really going to be removed, Mr. Sablan will push for the Interior recommendations in Congress. Interior gave these recommendations to Congress in 2010, and it’s been 2012 yet no one has taken action on it. Those who will be left out in HR 1466 could at least have something to hope for,” Reyes added.

The U.S. Department of the Interior recommended to Congress to allow thousands of alien workers who have lawfully resided in the CNMI for at least five years to apply for long-term status under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

The recommendations to Congress include outright grant of U.S. citizenship, permanent residency leading to citizenship, and a status similar to those granted to Freely Associated States citizens.

U.S. Public Law 110-220 or the law that placed CNMI immigration under federal control gave Interior until May 10, 2010, to submit the report.

Leaders and members of different worker organizations in the CNMI will be meeting with Sablan tonight, starting at 6:30pm, at Minatchom Atdao in Susupe.

Sablan confirmed the meeting, saying he will give the organizations an update on the status of HR 1466, among other issues.

Gov. Benigno R. Fitial, in previous media interviews, pointed to the fourth group of people as the main reason for his opposition to HR 1466, but not to the three others, including those who were granted “CNMI permanent residents” status by the CNMI government.