Guest workers to seek RP Arroyo’s help

Various guest worker groups in the CNMI are thinking of seeking the help of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in their struggle to have the U.S. Congress grant them long-term immigration status in the Commonwealth.

The groups said they will write Macapagal-Arroyo to urge her to appeal to the U.S. government on their behalf to grant them a more permanent immigration status in the CNMI. Majority of guest workers in the CNMI are from the Philippines.

The guest workers began their three-day peaceful assembly early yesterday morning in front of TSL Plaza in Garapan where the office of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in the CNMI is located.

The turnout was estimated at over a hundred, mostly Filipinos and Bangladeshis who are members of different guest worker groups.

Although the worker groups have appointed Yho Villavicencio as their spokesperson, the worker groups said they speak as one.

“We just want to voice our concerns. We want them to grant us improved status,” Villavicencio explained.

The workers camped out near the building and vowed to stay during the night until Wednesday. They said their doing this is within the bounds of the law.

Although Walter L. Haith was seen talking to the worker groups, he said he is speaking on a person-to-person basis. Haith is the Field Office director for Guam and the CNMI of the U.S. Citizenship Immigration Services.

He said he can only make recommendations until November when the regulations for federalization will take place.

But he said in his personal capacity, he supports what the workers are doing.

“They have the right to do it. They are not disrupting the offices. It’s a good start for them because even if they won’t be able to get what they want, at least they are doing something and their voices are heard,” Haith said.

This Wednesday, a U.S. Congress subcommittee will hold an oversight hearing on Public Law 110-229, the law that authorizes the federal government to take over the immigration system of the CNMI.

Rep. Tina Sablan will be reportedly be submitting testimony in support of the guest workers during the oversight hearing.

The workers want the Secretary of the Interior to recommend to the U.S. Congress to permit lawfully admitted guest workers legally residing in the CNMI to apply for long-term status. They said this is clearly stated in the law.

The workers also said that the U.S. Congress should fully realize that the CNMI needs the guest workers to stay and help the economy going.

“Who knows, maybe the U.S. Congress will grant our request. We can see Mr. Haith is very supportive of us right now but he cannot promise anything and we understand his position,” the workers said.

PL 110-229 Section 6 states that the Secretary of the Interior should report to Congress the number of aliens residing in the CNMI, description of their legal status, number of years each alien has been residing, and current and future requirements of the CNMI economy for alien labor.

The main concern of the guest worker groups is the provision that states: “Such recommendations to the Congress as the Secretary may deem appropriate, related to whether or not Congress should consider permitting lawfully admitted guest workers to apply for long-term status under the immigration and nationality laws of the United States.”