It’s time to move forward

On March 1, 2007 Gov. Benigno Fitial ignored the call of the 15th Legislature and then Washington Representative Pete A. Tenorio’s call for a unified position in the building of a “framework for the federalization of our immigration policy” and independently acted on his own and without the consent of the people of the Commonwealth and our legislative branch to file a lawsuit against the United States government.

The following list is by no means an exhaustive one, but it was a starting point for further discussions in the process of creating a unique CNMI-centered immigration policy. Those items included:

1.) A visa waiver program to allow us to tap into existing markets as well as new markets of tourists;

2.) Exemption from H1 and H2 caps to avoid unnecessary delays in hiring workers in those categories;

3.) Grandfathering existing foreign investors;

4.) A carefully designed guest worker program, outside H1 and H2 job categories, to meet the CNMI’s workforce requirements, which should be an integral part of a new immigration framework;

5.) Foreign student visas;

6.) Continued MOU with various federal agencies to provide for the enforcement of U.S. treaty obligations relating to refugees and asylum.

7.) The construction of a new Immigration framework that should prevent the political and social alienation of the Chamorros and Carolinian peoples;

8.) The creation of an Immigration board that will comprise members of both local and federal governments that would be authorized to make appropriate periodic changes to immigration regulations without having to pass new laws or regulations;

9.) Recommendation that a provision to mandate an independent study be done to evaluate the impact of changing the residency status of nonresident workers as it relates to the economic and political future of the CNMI.

Signed then by House of Representatives: Justo Quitugua, Arnold Palacios, Joseph Deleon Guerrero, Benjamin Seman, Candido Taman, Ramon Tebuteb, Manual Tenorio, Stanley Torres, Ray Yumul, Florencio DL Guerrero and Cinta Kaipat.

Senate: Senate Vice President Pete P. Reyes, Senator Felix Mendiola, Paul Manglona, Jude Hofschnieder, Frica Pangelinan, Paterno Hocog and Henry San Nicolas.

Taotao Tano states that these would have been the necessary tools in the efforts to build our economy without the expense of operating our own immigration system. We see no reason to continue fighting the ever growing consensus in Washington that only the sovereign federal government is truly capable of providing the international links necessary to secure our borders. With the ongoing decline in CNMI revenues, we do not believe that we can maintain an effective immigration program while trying to fund vital public services and under an overly critical eye of some members of Congress and the media.

Furthermore, the U.S. Congress and the federal administration had always requested that the CNMI speak with one voice on issues. In the past it was not always possible, and it may not be possible now but we do not feel that maintaining the “no modification” position of Gov. Benigno Fitial is productive, reasonable, or in the best interest of the people of the Northern Mariana islands and the people of the United States.

It’s time to move forward.