More time to address federalization issues

Today, I join many people in our community in expressing thanks and gratitude to Janet Napolitano, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, for agreeing to delay the implementation of federal immigration rules for the CNMI. I am very grateful to the federal government for acknowledging the serious economic concerns we have raised regarding the implementation of this sweeping new federal immigration law.

In February of this year, I wrote a letter to the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security seeking an extension of the effective date of the provisions of Public Law 110-229. I have also traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with key federal officials, including Secretary Napolitano and Assistant Secretary for Policy, Dr. Richard Barth, to address this crucial issue. During a White House dinner with President Barrack Obama, I had the opportunity to personally raise the subject with Secretary Napolitano and she assured me then that she had read the materials I had submitted to the department seeking an extension and would give the matter her careful attention. I am very pleased that this request has finally been granted for the benefit of the people and the economy of the CNMI.

I wish to emphasize that this positive development did not take place because of my efforts alone. I wish to thank all of the interested Guam and CNMI stakeholders who worked so hard to achieve this welcome result, including the Governor of Guam, Felix Camacho; Rep. Madeleine Bordallo, our Marianas Visitor Authority, and the Guam Visitors Bureau. I am also grateful to the CNMI Legislature for supporting our Administration’s efforts to secure this much needed delay of implementation. I also thank all of our partners in the private business sector for submitting comments and uniting behind our government in supporting this important request. The Saipan Chamber of Commerce, the Tinian Chamber of Commerce, and the Hotel Association of the Northern Marianas, among other groups, deserve much credit for contributing to this welcome result. I want to thank all those businesses and individuals in our community who submitted comments on the draft visa waiver regulations. Coupled with our meetings in Washington D.C., I think that these were of great help in getting the extension. I want to encourage our community to continue to voice their views whenever they have an opportunity. I also appreciate the efforts of Lynn Knight, our CEDS chair, and Delegate Gregorio Kilili Sablan.

This result clearly shows how we can all work together to achieve a desired outcome for our islands, and I encourage more common efforts along these lines in the future, because I firmly believe that the CNMI can achieve more progress if all sectors of our government work together, and with the private sector, toward a common goal.

With the approval of this delay, both the CNMI government and the federal government now have more time to meaningfully address the full implementation of this new federal law and minimize adverse economic impacts to our islands, as provided for by law. Because of this development, our private business sector now also has more time to plan ahead, to become better informed, and to better transition into the new federal immigration environment. With this delay, by the time federal rules apply, the CNMI should be able to review and comment on regulations for foreign workers, investors, students and retirees.

This extension also provides more time to resolve any outstanding issues regarding the visa waiver regulations for Guam and the CNMI. And it allows our hotels, retail and dining establishments, and other tourist-related businesses to benefit from an additional six months of visa-free access to our Russian and Chinese tourist markets.

We believe that the Commonwealth has demonstrated that carefully controlled access to the China and Russian tourist markets is of critical importance to our economy and can be continued without interruption consistent with the national security interests of the United States. We look forward to working with the Department of Homeland Security, together with our colleagues from Guam, in adding such additional safeguards to maintain access to these important tourist markets.

My hope is that this six-month delay will give Homeland Security additional time to put in place the necessary equipment, personnel and systems in the CNMI so that we can continue to welcome Chinese and Russian tourists without a single day of lapse. We have been hosting these tourists for more than a decade without any problems and they are a vital part of our tourism industry.