Dekada vows to intensify campaign next year

The Dekada Movement vowed to intensify its campaign to obtain improved immigration status for its members next year, disclosing that it would soon register as a congressional lobbyist pursuant to federal law.

Dekada’s attorney, Stephen Woodruff, said yesterday that the group would reach out to many other lawmakers in both houses of the U.S. Congress beginning next year.

He said the movement has so far communicated with some 20 lawmakers in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives regarding the plight of many nonresident workers who have lawfully stayed in the CNMI for at least five years and over.

Woodruff said the issues that will be brought before the U.S. lawmakers would include the absence voting rights of long-term nonresident workers, who have been paying taxes to the government. He said taxation without representation in government is unfair to long-term nonresident workers.

“What Dekada is about is exercising fundamental right to associate with people, to pool resources, and to petition the government for redress,” Woodruff said.

Woodruff, who spoke before scores of Dekada members and others who were interested to join the group in a meeting at the Nauru Building in Susupe yesterday, said the movement would beef up its efforts during the first six months of 2006.

Dekada wants long-term residency status for them. Its members, numbering over 3,000, have at least five years of lawful stay in the CNMI. Many of them have worked in the CNMI for more than 10 years, while some have even been in the CNMI for over 20 years. Dekada said most of its members have children who were born in the CNMI.

Woodruff said the group would prioritize lobby efforts before the U.S. Congress, for it to pass legislation that will grant improved immigration status to Dekada members and similarly situated aliens. Federal immigration law allows aliens who have been residing in the United States for at least five consecutive years may apply for permanent resident status.

Woodruff added that lobby efforts before the CNMI’s Legislature and Executive branches remain an option.

The attorney also disclosed that Dekada has been considering the option to obtain judicial relief, but said that it would first focus on lobbying for legislative solutions to its concerns.

“We’re studying all relevant judicial issues that are important to Dekada cases,” Woodruff said.

Should Dekada resort to the judicial relief option, Woodruff said the movement would not necessarily file a class action suit in court. Rather, the group would support individual cases that would discuss equal protection, voting rights, and other constitutional issues, which, if favored by the judicial court, would support Dekada’s cause.

Woodruff spoke before Dekada’s existing and prospective members to answer any inquiries they might have for the attorney.

One of those who attended the meeting asked how long the movement could obtain relief. Woodruff said there is no certainty as to how long the efforts would take, but added, “we have to mobilize to get moving.”

Another participant asked whether there is an assurance that the group will succeed or fail. Woodruff said there is no guarantee that the group would succeed. He added, though, that there is absolute guarantee that Dekada will not succeed if it does not do anything.

Some nonresident workers signed up to join Dekada after yesterday’s meeting. The group assesses a one-time payment of $100 on each member to pool funds that will support lobby efforts and related activities.