Termination of parole authority feared
Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP) fears the possible termination of the CNMI parole authority, which allows Chinese and Russian tourists to enter the CNMI.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday at his office at Susupe, Sablan said he loses sleep over thinking about the Trump administration possibly ending the CNMI parole authority for Chinese and Russian tourists.
“I worked hard to get the parole authority back in 2009,” said Sablan, adding that the program has “served the CNMI well.”
“The economy…is largely dependent on Chinese parole. Forty percent of our tourists are from China. The casino has Chin[ese] as their main patrons. The governor understands that keeping parole is the No. 1 issue of U.S. President Donald J. Trump since Day 1,” he added.
Sablan recounted seeing a draft executive order back in February 2017 terminating the parole authority. That executive order didn’t happen.
“As we’ve seen, if [former president Barack Obama] did it, Trump is undoing it,” Sablan said, adding that Trump has been undoing several Obama-era initiatives using his executive powers such as revoking temporary and protected status for Haitians, Salvadorians, ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, and more.
“More so now, my worry is the Marianas parole [authority] for tourists could be next. I have met with the Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services,” said Sablan. “The field officers are telling Washington, D.C. that the parole is really hard to enforce,” adding that overstaying tourists; working tourists; on-the-job deaths; minimum wage violations; birth tourism, and more could possibly jeopardize the parole authority under the Trump administration.
“I wish that I could share more with you, but I am alarmed and I am very worried about this program ending in the Marianas. [The program’s end] would be a major harm to our economy,” he said, adding that he has “reason to be very alarmed.” He declined to specify those reasons.
People are often confused between parole authority—which allows tourists from China and Russia to enter the CNMI—and the visa waiver program—which allows the entry of tourists from Australia, Brunei, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom.
The CNMI parole authority is responsible for bringing almost half of the total tourist population in the CNMI. Korea and China, the top two tourist markets for the CNMI, comprise over 95 percent of total arrivals to the Marianas. Anything that will throttle the entry of Chinese tourists to the CNMI, could cripple the local economy.
That should be revoked, then most of the undesirables will be denied a visa dureing the screening, This will also have a great impact on the “birthing tourists” that presently also over stay their allotted time, along with much other undesirable actions by many.
By requiring Visa, this will also invoke “Quality Tourists” instead of the present tourists that are detrimental to our environment and infrastructure and put a burden on many.
They present”tourists” also spend little money as the “tours” are prepaid in China.
Most are only here for a few days anyway. (Russian exception, stay longer and spend more money) The ones that stay for 45 days are usually illegally employed.
Also if I am not mistaken, there are ten year multiple entry Visa available for China. In the past years ago,for most countries, those that qualify were given 1 year multiple entry visa then on renewal was given 5 year and eventually a ten year multiple entry visa. (do not know now what the procedures is)
Article, ¶ 9.
Actually, parole authority is the procedural method by which the “economic benefit” portions of the visa waiver program (VWP) regulations are extended to citizens of China and Russia. So the implementation of parole authority is part of the Guam-CNMI VWP, and in furtherance of it.
Read the Guam-CNMI VWP regulations for yourself:
8 C.F.R. § 212.1(q)(2)(ii) (2017).
The very next provision addresses access by China and Russia to the CNMI.
8 C.F.R. § 212.1(q)(2)(iii) (2017) (emphasis added). Let us hope that the DHS Secretary does not determine that the continued admission of Chinese tourists without visas constitutes such a threat.
Come on, it’s not like we don’t know about visa abuses. The fact is, many Chinese in CNMI are illegal tourist overstayers. They come in as tourists and just decide to stay. For as long as they choose. USA has no exit monitoring system, and no one is patrolling overstayers and these people are free to roam around Saipan. Many even conduct their own private businesses.
One time a neighbor recommended a Chinese contractor, when I gave him a check payment, tells me he can’t cash it because he doesn’t have two IDs. Illegal worker has been doing business a contractor for nearly three years already. I bet most of Chinese workers in Garapan are the same.
Not to mention all the pregnant women staying in Garapan. Pay $2000 monthly just for rent.
That’s the reality of this system. And we all know it.