‘Stateless’ applicants for U.S. passport near 100

Over 80 of the so-called “stateless” persons have filed applications for U.S. passport following the statement of the Babauta administration advising them to obtain the document.

This development followed the ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which denied the U.S. State Department’s request for a rehearing on the stateless persons’ appeal. The appellate court earlier overturned the ruling of the federal district court, which declared that the Commonwealth’s stateless persons are not U.S. citizens.

Saipan’s federal passport officer, Ann Doris Babauta, said many stateless persons went to the passport office at the Afetnas Building in San Antonio yesterday to apply for passports. As of Friday, she said about 80 stateless persons have already completed their applications, together with the required $85-fee for each.

The passport officer said the Honolulu Passport Agency has yet to approve any of the applications. Once the agency approves any of the applications, it would send the corresponding passport to Saipan, where the applicant would claim the travel document.

Although the Babauta administration recognized that the appellate court’s decision does not become final until Dec. 16, 2004, if the State Department does not appeal the case before the U.S. Supreme Court, it advised the stateless persons to file their passport applications.

“Once you have your passports, you will then easily obtain the same rights as all other U.S. citizens in the CNMI, such as the ability to secure scholarships and voting rights,” Gov. Juan N. Babauta earlier said.

The governor had assured his support for the stateless persons’ clamor for American citizenship, noting that he has also been exerting efforts to achieve this goal through the U.S. Congress, apart from the judicial proceedings.

Meanwhile, the passport officer said her office would be closed today and tomorrow to allow its staff to relocate to a new office in Susupe.

Babauta said her office would be relocated at the old Superior Court building, near the Multi-Purpose Center. Applicants may resume applying for passports at the office beginning Friday.

“The new location will be really great,” Ann Doris Babauta said, adding that a nearby cashier awaits application payments.

The passport officer thanked officials from the CNMI Department of Labor, which allowed the office to use the space that became the Passport Office beginning Nov. 2003.