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Alien workers not giving up hope on better status
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Posted on Apr 08 2009
United Workers Movement NMI president Rabby Syed said they are not giving up hope that long-term foreign workers, overstayers with unpaid wages, foreign parents with U.S. citizen children, and immediate relatives of U.S. and Freely Associated States citizens applying for green card will get an improved status under a federal immigration system.
In an interview, Syed said the group wants to meet with representatives of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to bring up their concerns related to federalization.
Syed yesterday called on all leaders of guest workers and “individuals with ideas” to the meeting where they will discuss “issues and concerns pertaining to the delay in the implementation of federalization.”
On March 31, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano delayed by 180 days the start of transition to federal immigration in the CNMI—from the original schedule of June 1 to Nov. 28, 2009.
The extension means the CNMI will continue to administer its own immigration system until Nov. 28, and the proposed joint Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program, which excludes the emerging Chinese and Russian markets, will not go into effect until Nov. 28.
Syed said the meeting will be on April 11, Saturday, 6:30pm at Winchell’s in Susupe.
He urged workers “to share good ideas on how we can be united as one,” so that by working together, they “will always make some difference.”
“Your ideas and effort will enhance our movement. We may be able to achieve our goal which is an ‘improved status’ for all nonresident workers living in the CNMI if we will come together and show our unified stand. Please be with us. Now is the time, the right time, to move for a common cause,” Syed said.
The 180-day delay in the start of transition will allow the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to draft and release the remaining regulations relating to the federalization law, and allow enough time for the public to comment.
Only the proposed Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program has been released for public comment, not the regulations relating to foreign workers, investors, students and retirees.
