‘NMI could learn from A. Samoa’

Leaders of worker groups in the CNMI said Monday that CNMI leaders could learn from an American Samoa official’s intention to allow long-term foreign workers to apply for U.S. national status, citing their socio-economic contributions to the U.S. territory.

American Samoa Delegate Eni Faleomavaega is proposing two pieces of immigration legislation, including one that amends provisions of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act to allow foreigners who have been long time legal residents of American Samoa to apply for U.S. national status.

Bonifacio Sagana, president of Dekada Movement, said that had CNMI officials looked at the positive impact on the local economy of allowing legal long-term foreign workers to have improved immigration status, the local economy would at least fare better than it is now.

The original federalization bill contained a provision to grant improved status for long-time foreign workers in the CNMI but the CNMI government opposed this and the provision was later removed.

Rabby Syed, president of the United Workers Movement-NMI, said that while Faleomavaega’s proposals have yet to be introduced in the form of bills, the “good intention is there to recognize the need to allow long-term foreign workers” to apply for U.S. national status.

Syed said he would ask CNMI Delegate Gregorio Kilili Sablan to look into his American Samoan counterpart’s proposals.

“The intention is to cover all legal long-term aliens in American Samoa. I wish there’s a plan to do the same for all legal long-term aliens in the CNMI. If the American Samoa delegate could propose it, I don’t see any reason why the CNMI delegate couldn’t do it and hold public hearings about it,” Syed told Saipan Tribune.

Faleomavaega was quoted by Samoa News as saying in his weekly radio program that he will hold a public forum on his proposals to gather public opinion.

“Whether you agree or disagree with these proposals, I would like to hear from you,” the American Samoa delegate was quoted as saying.

In August, Faleomavaega sent a copy of the draft legislation to American Samoa Gov. Togiola Tulafono and all members of the Fono (American Samoa’s Legislature) for their input and suggestions before a decision is made whether to introduce the measure in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Faleomavaega, according to Samoa News, explained that the proposal would grant U.S. national status in three categories for longtime residents in American Samoa and one category for any person who has continuously lived in American Samoa since the age of 5 or under and has graduated from high school.

Current law allows only those born in American Samoa or who has a parent born in American Samoa eligible to become U.S. nationals. The same is true in the CNMI.

“However, Faleomavaega has said this does not do justice to some 4,000 longtime residents that have lived continuously in American Samoa for 20 years or more, paid taxes to the American Samoa government, donated to their churches and contributed to American Samoa society in many ways,” Samoa News said.

Faleomavaega pointed out that this is not going to be an easy issue if the bill is introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives because there is already much controversy in the United States surrounding millions of illegal immigrants living across the country.

The second proposed bill would allow U.S. nationals living in American Samoa to apply from the territory, directly to the federal government, for U.S. citizenship.