‘Too bad US immigration rules do not apply to stateless persons’

The difficulty of granting U.S. citizenship to deserving individuals is the downside in the CNMI’s exemption from U.S. immigration coverage, said Gov. Juan N. Babauta yesterday as he reiterated his support for the so-called stateless individuals’ quest for U.S. citizenship.

“We’re a community of people and these individuals are from here and have lived all their lives here. It’s just too bad that we don’t have the U.S. immigration applied here for this specific purpose,” Babauta said.

“They don’t know any other community other than the community here and this is where they want to live,” he added.

The governor’s position runs counter to the CNMI Senate’s action. The upper chamber’s majority members have adopted a resolution urging the federal government to appeal a court ruling favoring the granting of U.S. citizenship to stateless individuals in the CNMI.

Senate Resolution 14-09, introduced by Saipan senators Thomas Villagomez and Pete P. Reyes, described the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling as “erroneous” and contrary to the provisions of Section 301 of the CNMI-U.S. Covenant.

It said that the Covenant, which establishes the CNMI’s political union with the United States, was specifically designed and negotiated by and between the citizens of the CNMI and the U.S.

The senators believe that, by applying the Covenant, it is clear that persons born between 1974 to 1986 who were not Trust Territory citizens but domiciled in the NMI are ineligible to become citizens of the U.S.

Babauta, for his part, said yesterday that he is happy over the lack of appeal from the U.S. government so far.

The U.S. Supreme Court earlier decided to extend the appeal deadline from Jan. 14 to Feb. 13 this year. If no appeal is filed within the period, the court’s ruling becomes final and executory within the month.

The High Court, meantime, has until April to decide on any appeal filed.

“It really going to be dependent on whether somebody steps forward or appeal the court decision. [Right now], I am happy. I support these individuals getting citizenship,” he said.

The Babauta administration is also working closely with some U.S. lawmakers, including Indiana Rep. Dan Burton, in pushing for legislation recognizing the hundreds of stateless individuals in the CNMI as Americans.