Chuukese welcome ruling on deportation

Most of the Chuukese staying on Saipan welcome Superior Court Associate Judge David A. Wiseman’s recent decision stating that citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia are subject to immigration laws of the CNMI and therefore can be deported.

Neftis S. Sablan, one of the advisors of the Chuukese Catholic Youth Association, said the court’s ruling would serve as a lesson to some FSM citizens who have been doing “crazy things around here.”

“I think it’s good for them to be deported,” said Sablan in an interview with the Saipan Tribune after their group completed a trashathon Saturday from Mt. Carmel Church in Chalan Kanoa to Kristo Rai Church in Garapan.

She said the court ruling actually has caused mixed feelings to her.

Sablan said sometimes she feels bad seeing these people to be deported, but that it is also good for these people who are doing bad things on the island to leave.

The group’s adviser said actually only a few of these people are doing bad things, but they have created bad image to the Chuukese community.

“Some of us are making our names look bad,” she said, adding that the reason why they conducted their recent trashathon was to get everybody to participate in the program to “change their lives for the better.”

In his ruling, Wiseman said the Compact of Free Association Act (Compact) does not exempt FSM citizens from CNMI’s non-discriminatory Immigration limitation.

Wiseman said the CNMI by virtue of the Covenant, has been granted nearly plenary authority over its own immigration.

“In exercising this authority, the CNMI has passed legislation limiting the ability of ‘aliens’ to remain in the CNMI by making deportable all aliens who have been convicted of two ore more misdemeanors or one or more felonies,” he said.

Wiseman issued such ruling in his order finding Douglas A. Phillip, an FSM citizen convicted of assault with a dangerous weapon, which is a felony offense, deportable pursuant to the law.

The judge cited that because Phillip is an FSM citizen, is classified as an alien, he is subject to the immigration laws of the CNMI governing deportation.

“Those who have committed serious crimes such as felonies or multiple misdemeanors have already adversely impacted the CNMI in numerous ways, and have demonstrated that they are unwilling to participate in the essential social contract which ensures the rule of law in Saipan,” he said.