Pinoys in Marianas told not to hope for green cards

SUSUPE, Saipan - Filipino workers in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands were dissuaded from hoping that they could get "green cards" or US permanent resident cards with the federalization of the CNMI, a US territory in Micronesia.

In a forum here on Saturday, US Federal Labor Ombudsman Jim Benedetto told about 200 Filipinos that the application of the federal law in the CNMI was not a guarantee that migrant workers could apply for green cards two years from now.

Public Law 110-229 puts CNMI immigration under federal control. The measure has a provision requiring the US executive branch to submit to Congress within two years a recommendation on how to grant foreign workers a more permanent status.

However, according to Benedetto, even if the US administration recommends giving green cards to alien workers, it doesn't mean that Congress will approve the proposal.

CNMI Governor Benigno R. Fitial is poised to sue the US government for the alleged economic harm that will result from the federalization of CNMI immigration. He claimed that the new law would lead to the deportation of about 20,000 foreign workers mostly from China and the Philippines.

Benedetto countered Fitial's claim, and said during the forum that mass deportation won't be possible. - Haidee Eugenio, GMANews.TV

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