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2 Chinese press gov’t to process asylum application
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Posted on Mar 13 2000
A lawyer for two Chinese nationals seeking asylum in the CNMI asked the U.S. District Court on Friday to junk a motion from the defense to quash a subpoena issued against a federal immigration officer.
The plaintiffs, through their counsel Bruce L. Jorgensen, said they opposed such motion filed by the federal government on behalf of Robert Stamerra, asylum officer of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, saying it is contrary to their sworn responsibilities to the people.
Rui Liang and Liao Da Nian, who last month were ordered released from detention at a CNMI immigration facility, are petitioning the federal court to force the Commonwealth and the federal governments to accept their asylum applications.
Mr. Jorgensen have filed amended motions asking the court to process immediately their applications for asylum, alleging that the conduct of the defendants who had ignored and violated ruling by Judge Alex R. Munson, warrants such move.
Both the U.S. and CNMI governments have been named defendants to the civil case, along with 25 other individuals. The plaintiffs had pressed the case after Mr. Stamerra reportedly interrogated Mr. Liao and attempted to question also Mr. Rui in violation of an earlier court order.
Mr. Jorgensen also claimed both federal and CNMI officials attempted to evade service of subpoenas for documents demanded by the plaintiffs on complaints of the defendants’ contempt, bad faith litigation tactics and disregard for applicable professional ethics.
“Why, then, this veil of secrecy being perpetuated by federal government lawyers and Mr. Stamerra?” he asked in his latest motion Friday.
“In order to operate their governmental system ‘for the people,’ is it really necessary to hide from those people the facts of what procedures, ruled, agreements, and policies are [or are not] in effect to perform the duties those lawyers and Mr. Stamerra have been paid [by ‘the people’] to perform?”
Mr. Rui and Mr. Liao, who earlier were detained on overstaying charges, have maintained in their asylum applications they are in danger of being “personally threatened or harmed” by authorities of the communist government if they are sent back to Beijing. (Benhur C. Saladores)
