Tinian ‘tent city’ to be shut down • But Teno says doors would still be open for future undocumented aliens

The “tent city” on Tinian will be closed down soon after the last batch of illegal Chinese immigrants had left the island, but the Northern Marianas will still accept undocumented aliens referred by federal authorities, Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio said yesterday.

He also said the island government is currently reviewing the total costs borne by the CNMI when it agreed to host nearly 500 Chinese, who were caught by U.S. Coast Guard attempting to enter Guam, while awaiting Washington’s decision on their fate.

“I am sure that… they are closing it down. I don’t know when is the last day of the closure but they will close it down,” the local chief executive told reporters.

The Commonwealth, however, is likely to accept other undocumented aliens in the future to provide temporary shelter as part of its assistance to the federal government in handling the immigration crisis on Guam.

“It’s a joint cooperation between the federal government and the CNMI and if there’s another vessel, of course we will be ready to assist in any way we can,” Tenorio said.

But he also expressed hope that the influx of illegal immigrants into this part of the US territory would be resolved soon so that the CNMI would not have to open makeshift tents on Tinian just to accommodate these people.

“I hate to see those people continue to suffer and I hope there will be no more vessel (that will be diverted to the CNMI),” Tenorio pointed out.

CNMI and federal authorities on Tuesday sent home some 291 illegal Chinese immigrants aboard a chartered flight bound to an undisclosed destination in China, the third and last batch of undocumented aliens to leave Tinian.

Nearly 500 men, women and children had packed the two camps hastily set up by federal agencies at the Northfield military base on Tinian since the first boatload of illegals arrived on the island last April 17.

They were believed to be victims of human smuggling syndicates operating in China, primarily in Fujian province, which collected thousands of dollars from each person to enter illegally into Guam, the closest US territory to the country.

At least two dozens of suspected ring leaders, who were caught aboard their boats, have been charged in the federal court and one has pled guilty to the felony offense.

Although Washington has pledged to reimburse the island government for the costs incurred in hosting these people, the CNMI has yet to tally the total amount of money it has spent so far.

Tenorio estimated that they have spent “over half-a-million dollars” in the past two months, most of which came from the deportation funds of the Department of Labor and Immigration.

“We are coming up with a final figure now because it’s closing down,” he explained. “We will be submitting (the report) to the federal government for their reimbursement.”

The governor also considered the involvement of the CNMI in Guam’s immigration problems a result of a “good working relationship” between the Commonwealth and Washington.

“It was a joint cooperation between the federal government and our agencies. I’m sure that the federal government received everything that they requested from us. I never heard any problem that existed at the tent city,” Tenorio said.