Stop giving hope

First, let me acknowledge the hard work Rabby Syed and members of the United Workers Movement have put into the initiative to improve the immigration status of long-term foreign workers in the CNMI. Unfortunately, his efforts are flawed.

Rabby Syed, I do not understand what it is you don’t understand about U.S. immigration. The U.S. immigration law, which has been in existence for more than 50 years, will not be amended by Congress just to give elevated immigration status to the 22,417 legal foreign workers in the CNMI. What about the 11 million legal foreign workers in the U.S.? Do you believe that Congress will acknowledge and grant elevated immigration status to 22, 417 legal foreign workers in the CNMI who do not pay taxes to the U.S. government during all the years they’ve lived in the CNMI? Please stop lying to the good foreign workers!

On the issue of labor unions in the United States helping address the immigration status of legal foreign workers in the CNMI, do you really think that labor unions in the U.S. will help foreign workers in the CNMI and forget the 11 million legal foreign workers they represent in the U.S., who have been working and paying taxes in the U.S. for more than 20 years? Please stop lying to the hardworking foreign workers in the CNMI just so they can continue to pay for your tickets to travel to the U.S.

Your actions continue to give hope to foreign workers in the CNMI and you know well enough that an improved immigration status for them will never happen. Please keep in mind that if the good congressman Kilili’s bill to give special immigration status to long-term foreign workers in the CNMI was killed on arrival, then your hopes of working with labor unions in the U.S. is out of touch. Stop giving hope because you do not have the authority or power to do so!

The CNMI being U.S soil means that all legal foreign workers must line up and apply for improved immigration status. Long-term foreign workers must submit and pay for their application for green card and they must take and pass the tests administered to become U.S. citizens. Rabby Syed, this is not hard to understand. Stop giving hope for something that you cannot achieve. If your friend Doromal cannot do it, how can you?

Sid Kani
As Matuis, Saipan