‘Stateless kids’ ratchet up campaign
Stateless individuals in the Commonwealth disclosed plans yesterday to step up their lobbying efforts for the U.S. government to grant them citizenship, now that the CNMI government has provided them relief by giving them “Immediate Relative” status.
At least 30 stateless individuals trooped yesterday morning to the House of Representatives’ session hall to witness the signing of House Bill 14-97, a measure that amended the law that defines the “immediate relative status” for those under the age of 21.
Section 2(a) of the bill amends the definition of “Immediate Relative” so that these children of alien workers born in the CNMI between Jan. 1, 1974 and Nov. 3, 1986 don’t lose their IR status after reaching the age of 21.
This also means that the affected individuals that are currently IR’s of nonresident workers won’t lose that IR status after reaching the age of 21 and that those that are already over the age of 21 (and were technically deportable prior to the governor’s signing of the Legislation into law) are now lawfully in the CNMI as IRs.
Based on records gathered, there are over 200 stateless individuals in the CNMI but the list continued to decline in recent years. According to Randy Mendoza, some of the stateless children left the island and are now in their parents’ homeland, while others are now married.
“The number would not go up but we understand that it would continue to decrease as time goes by,” said Mendoza.
The list of the House of Representatives showed that there are 142 stateless children, with 125 of them born to Filipino parents and 16 born to Korean ones.
Mendoza said the group is now readying its own website that would detail the activities and actions being done by stateless children in the CNMI. The group also contracted a documentary literary that would be provided to people with interest in their case.
“We are happy that we have support outside the CNMI and we hope that we would soon be achieving our U.S. citizenship,” said Mendoza
He added that the group hopes to catch the attention of higher authorities, particularly at the federal and congressional levels.
Nevertheless, Mendoza said he is so happy that the 14th CNMI Legislature, particularly Rep. Clyde Norita and House Speaker Ben Fitial, along with Sen. Henry San Nicolas paid attention to their dilemma.
Gov. Juan N. Babauta signed House Bill 14-97 into law yesterday morning. It now goes into the books as PL 11-8.
The governor’s next stop is Washington D.C. on Sunday to bring the case to U.S. Rep. Dan Burton, who chairs the U.S. House Committee on Government Reforms’ Subcommittee on Wellness and Human Rights. Burton has promised to introduce a bill in Congress to address this matter.
