By Agnes E. Donato and Marconi Calindas
Reporters
Washington Rep. Pete A. Tenorio confirmed that the provision granting nonimmigrant status to alien workers who have been in the CNMI for five years will be eliminated from H.R. 3079, the bill that seeks to federalize the CNMI's immigration system. No matter, said Gov. Benigno R. Fitial, who remains opposed to the bill itself.
Tenorio said the controversial section is being deleted in preparation for the bill's presentation for markup at the U.S. House of Representatives this week.
Markup refers to the meeting of a committee to review the text of a bill before reporting it out. Committee members offer and vote on proposed changes to the bill’s language. Most markups end with a vote to send the new version of the bill to the floor for final approval.
“While I have not been able to review the entire bill, I have been briefed on most of the changes in the bill that will be presented for markup on Wednesday,” explained Tenorio. “This [grandfathering provision] is clearly the most controversial section of the bill.”
The new language in the bill will now require a detailed report and recommendations regarding future status of guest workers, to be done within the first two years after the bill's enactment.
The bill, Tenorio said, is very similar to the re-draft provided on Sept. 11 by the Bush administration.
New changes
Besides the deletion of the controversial provision, other significant changes to the bill are:
- A permanent exemption for both the CNMI and Guam from caps for H visas-a type of temporary work visa. This will allow both territories to more easily avail themselves of foreign workers during and after the transition period.
- Creation of a Marianas regional visa waiver program that includes Guam and the CNMI and allows a total stay of 45 days for tourists from approved countries. Countries to be designated for the program include those that have contributed significantly to the CNMI economy during the last year. Tourists from countries on the U.S. visa waiver program will be able to stay for 90 days.
- The allocation of funds for vocational education. This funding is vital for the training and education of resident workers.
“The committee has worked very closely with [Guam] Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo's office and my office in amending this bill. They listened very carefully to the testimony at the field hearing in August, and I feel have made significant improvements to the bill,” said Tenorio.
Congress determined
He said the U.S. Congress is still determined to pass this bill during the 110th Congress despite the strong opposition presented by the Fitial administration, business organizations, and local CNMI groups to the proposed federal takeover.
“I am grateful that they have taken the time to consider the views and opinions of the people of the Commonwealth in their deliberations. I am returning to Washington to be present at the mark-up and be available if any member of the committee wishes to ask me any questions,” said Tenorio.
Still opposed
Fitial says he will continue to oppose the proposed federal takeover of CNMI immigration even if the long-term guest worker provision is deleted.
“I am more concerned about the economy than politics,” Fitial said yesterday. His statement came in response to reports that the U.S. House of Representatives is considering deleting the nonimmigrant provision from its version of the bill.
Besides this controversial provision, the governor noted, there are sections in the federal bills that would damage the CNMI's already ailing economy. He cited as an example a provision requiring five federal agencies to implement the immigration bill.
“My administration is doing our best to entice investments into the CNMI, and that five-fingered bureaucracy will block all of our efforts,” he said.
Damaging impact
The CNMI's fledgling education industry is one of the first to suffer under a federalized immigration system, the governor said. Two postsecondary schools are currently poised to open in the CNMI. Emmanuel College eyes a Nov. 19 opening, and University of Loyola-CNMI expects to break ground before the end of the year. Both investors came to the Commonwealth partly because the CNMI's immigration control ensures access to potential students in Asia.
“I'm just against federalization as a whole. I don't support any aspect of it,” said Fitial.
He recalled that the Northern Marianas was under direct federal control once-during the Trust Territory period-and it did not help the local economy. The islands, he added, came out of the Trust Territory system with no private sector development, as the local government only relied on federal handouts.
“We've been there. We don't want to go back,” the governor said.
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