Comments for Safe Haven regs extended, public hearing set

The Attorney General’s Office announced yesterday that a public hearing would be held regarding a proposal that would make the Commonwealth a safe haven for Vietnamese victims of human trafficking.

Deputy Attorney General Clyde Lemons also said that the public comment period for the proposed regulations had been extended beyond the original Dec. 25 deadline.

The public hearing will be held at the Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe on Dec. 29, 2005, from 6pm to 8:30pm.

“The purpose is to allow the citizens/residents of the CNMI to voice their views on said proposed regulations. The public is invited to submit either written or oral comments at said time and place. This notice hereby extends the time for public comments on the proposed regulations,” Lemons said in a public notice.

The AGO published in the Nov. 25, 2005 edition of the Commonwealth Register proposed regulations that would allow the CNMI to host international victims of human trafficking and forced prostitution, particularly ethnic Vietnamese living in Cambodia.

The regulations have met opposition from at least two Senate members who said the regulations would cause the CNMI financial and social burden. Senators Joseph Mendiola and Pete Reyes said the proposal lacked comprehensive planning and they questioned the AGO’s motive for supporting the plan.

Last week, Reyes submitted his written comment to the AGO, enclosing signatures of about 100 people opposed to the draft regulations.

The AGO and the U.S. International Mission, a non-profit organization seeking to establish a safe haven in the CNMI, explained Friday that the program would be entirely privately funded.

Attorney General Pamela S. Brown also denied an allegation that she was supporting the project for personal gain. She has now delegated Lemons to handle everything that has to do with the safe haven regulations.

“The Attorney General finds that the proximity of the CNMI to Southeast Asia and its plenary power over immigration provides a useful tool in fighting the global problem of human trafficking and forced labor,” the AGO said in promulgating the regulations.

“This regulation is intended to allow approved non-profit charitable corporations to establish a safe, healthy environment for victims while carefully continuing to monitor the entry of aliens into the Commonwealth,” the agency added.

According to the proposed regulations, the Safe Haven Entry Permit will be limited to children aged 8 to 16, who will be sponsored by a non-profit entity dedicated to rescuing victims of human trafficking and sexual slavery.

Initial permits would be issued for a 90-day period, but they may be renewed indefinitely at the attorney general’s discretion. A holder of such permit may eventually transfer to foreign student immigration status if he or she meets requirements.