‘Most not covered will be under CNMI-only worker regs’

Nonresident workers who won’t be granted status under H.R. 1466 could be allowed to remain in the CNMI through the transitional CNMI-only worker regulations that are expected to be released by the Department of Homeland Security in September, according to the measure’s author, Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP).

“Most people not covered by H.R. 1466 will be covered by the CNMI-only worker regulations that DHS says are coming out soon,” said the two-term CNMI delegate in a recent email to the Saipan Tribune.

CW regulations are valid until the end of the transition period in 2014.

DHS Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Kelly Ryan said in a House subcommittee hearing last Friday in Washington, D.C. that she hopes the rules will come out sometime in mid-September 2011.

Sablan also clarified that even though he introduced a bill seeking to give status to alien worker parents of U.S. citizen children, he would still want U.S. citizens to be hired for jobs in the CNMI.

“Federal and Commonwealth laws provide that U.S. citizens be hired for jobs in the Northern Mariana Islands and that foreign workers only be hired and only be hired for jobs where there are no U.S. citizens available. That is the law and that is a good law and I support that. I support having U.S. citizens working at jobs in the Northern Mariana Islands,” he said.

The delegate, however, said there is general agreement among CNMI and federal officials that some workers are needed in the Commonwealth for some time and it may even be necessary to get the transition period extended past 2014.

“Public Law 110-229’s intention is to reduce the need for foreign workers during the transition period and for U.S. citizens to fill those jobs until there is no longer any need for foreign workers. Federal law requires that foreigners in the U.S. who have no visa must return to their home country,” he said.

Sablan’s H.R. 1466 proposes a “CNMI-only resident status” for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens as of May 8, 2008, and continuing to be on the islands, CNMI permanent residents, those born in the CNMI between Jan. 1, 1974 and Jan. 9, 1978, and the spouses or children, “as defined in section 101(b)(1) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(b)(1)), of an alien described in subclauses (I) or (II).”

Human rights activist Wendy Doromal said that, although she admired sophomore college student Hazel Doctor’s testimony, she still noticed something amiss in the hearing because of the lack of alien workers invited.

“Hazel was the most compelling witness at the hearing. She spoke passionately about the plight of the U.S. citizen and their nonresident parents. She talked about how her parents contributed to the CNMI and how she and her younger sister may be faced with the decision of staying in their country or leaving the CNMI to stay with their family in a foreign land.

“What she did not talk about was the thousands of other equally deserving nonresident workers and their families who have contributed to the CNMI, have grown deep roots and friendships, but have been callously excluded from the bill. But that was not her role at the hearing. Hazel did say that it ‘was immoral to separate families.’ I agree with her, and would add that it is immoral to separate all families, whether they have a U.S. citizen as a family member or not,” said Doromal in an email to the Saipan Tribune.

Sablan said the lack of alien worker witnesses in the hearing was because of time constraints and the necessity of having a witness directly affected by H.R. 1466 testify.

“Of course, anyone is free to submit written testimony—as all of the witnesses who spoke Thursday did. And all testimony—written and oral—is thoroughly reviewed and considered. I encourage as many people as they want to submit testimony,” he said.

Acting governor Eloy S. Inos expressed cautious support for Sablan’s bill when interviewed Monday following Rep. Janet Maratita’s (Ind-Saipan) oath-taking at the House chamber.

“Like many of the other folks here, we need to take a look at what the impact will be based on that bill. But generally, taking care of folks who have invested most of their lifetime here is certainly has a lot of merit and we need to take a look at that as well.”

If anything, Inos said, the public hearing on Friday showed that there is some interest in the committee level to move H.R. 1466 forward.

“The bill has a lot of miles to travel. It still has to be approved and adopted by the U.S. House of Representatives and it will have to be sent up to the U.S. Senate. So it still has a long ways to go. I just hope something fair would come out of this effort. Whether it’s a form of a bill like H.R. 1466 or a modified version as alluded to by the governor. One way or the other we should address this situation. At this point it’s too early to tell. But the fact that it’s been reported out of committee is a sign that there appears to be some support by certain members,” he said.