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5 of 9 who sued USCIS now OK’d for long-term status
Over five months since filing their lawsuit with the U.S District Court for the NMI, five of the nine plaintiffs who sued U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for turning down their applications for CNMI Long-Term Residency have finally been approved.
In their motion for voluntary dismissal of the lawsuit last Friday, the plaintiffs noted that USCIS have approved the CNMI residency applications of five of the nine individuals who had sued the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and USCIS in federal court for rejecting their applications back in Feb. 21.
Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona of the District Court for the NMI approved the stipulation and issued an order dismissing the lawsuit without prejudice last Monday.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mikel W. Schwab, who represents the defense, said five of the applicants accomplished the refiling of their applications and were successful in having those applications accepted by USCIS.
The approved applications belonged to Christine C. Pramis, Christopher R. Manalo, Cesar G. Lopez, Aliilua Panapa Peteru, and Veisinia Tilisa Peteru.
“Having accomplished the re-processing of the applications, the United States believes the complaint and filings in this case are thereby moot,” Schwab said.
As for the remaining plaintiffs (Pacifico C. Rivera, Ferdinand D. Arago, Anthony M. Alegre, and Nimfa T. Tan) and intervenors, their applications for long-term resident status have been accepted by USCIS for refiling.
According to Saipan Tribune archives, back in Feb. 21, nine of the plaintiffs sued U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and then-acting USCIS director Tracy Renaud for rejecting the plaintiffs’ long-term CNMI residency applications.
Steven Pixley, who represented the plaintiffs, said his clients were seeking narrow relief of an order from the court mandating that the respondents process their applications that were wrongfully rejected.
The nine plaintiffs were later joined by Samarn Chaikhamjan, Kraisorn Chaijaroen and Crispino Rivera who were represented by attorney Joseph Horey, and by Maria Gloria Balila who was represented by attorney Joe W. McDoulett. The four filed a motion to intervene in the civil complaint.
