Free up jobs for residents

Judge Governdo recently imposed a suspended jail sentence and fined a man for filing fraudulent documents at Labor/Immigration Office. Let us hope that this heralds a new beginning for our judges and our government and legislative leaders to rise up to the occasion and do right by citizens/residents by prosecuting foreigners who have repeatedly filed fraudulent documents with our labor and immigration office in order to continue to live and work here. These individuals are displacing U.S. citizens and residents especially during these difficult times.

With many jobs having disappeared with the departure of our garment factories and many more jobs about to evaporate in an economy that is totally at the mercy of global economies from west to east, from south to north—economies in shambles themselves—it does not take an economist to see that there simply are not that many job opportunities in the CNMI anymore. So why should our own government allow these marauding foreigners to continue to live and work here under such fraudulent means. These individuals are effectively taking scarce jobs away from lawful citizens and residents.

Our economic problems are exacerbated by the impending federalization of our immigration. Federalization has made it so uncertain for many existing businesses and investors that many have simply given up and have taken a wait-and-see attitude. This means that we will probably not see too many other job opportunities in the next several years. This means that whatever jobs are left should go to citizens and residents, not to nonresident workers, especially not to the foreigners who have knowingly and consciously gone out of their way to deceive us.

We must not allow the pleas and cries of the people in these difficult times to fall on deaf ears. We must call our governor and legislators. They must hear our cries and pleas.

Mind you, I have nothing against foreigners per se. Just the ones who are here under false pretenses: those who have lied about their status to be able to stay here and continue to lie to stay here. By lying about their marital status these individuals essentially perjured themselves and the privilege for these individuals to be in the Commonwealth should be forfeited and they should be sought out, fined and “exiled” back to their home countries.

We can probably expect to read more and more about frauds in the days ahead as many immediate relatives rush to file documents with Immigration Office in order to secure their status under federalization. We can probably also expect to read more and more about joblessness in the Commonwealth.

Fed up and looking for job opportunities now being held by these marauding foreigners, many U.S. citizens and residents will not hesitate, not even for a moment, to turn them in. Just ask your unemployed U.S. citizens and residents.

Free up whatever jobs are left for U.S. citizens and residents. Report any suspected cases of sham marriages to the authorities.

Speaking of jobs, now is the time for all good men and women of the Commonwealth to hold Labor Office to its law-mandated priority of first preference for local hires. Issuing two-year permits to non-resident workers in a shrinking economy runs counter to this priority of first preference for local hires or so it would seem.

Two-year permits for non-resident is going to result in the unemployment of U.S. citizens and residents, en masse, especially during the transition period. Just ask the many U.S. citizens who have lost their jobs with the garment industry and who remain unemployed to date. Ask your soon to be unemployed immigration employees.

Call your legislators. Call your governor. Tell them you need a job and should get one under the local preference law.