Visiting US officials snub Pinoys in Northern Marianas
SUSUPE, Saipan - A group of Filipino and other foreign workers pushing for better immigration status in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) failed to get an audience with visiting officials from the US Department of the Interior on Tuesday.
Although disappointed, the workers led by Human Dignity Movement president Jerry Custodio said they were at least able to show they are active in their pursuit of a better immigration status for foreign workers in the territory.
“We also want fair protection and treatment, justice to long-term workers, and payment of unpaid wages in Labor administrative orders," Custodio, from Tacloban, told GMANews.TV.
A petition from the group, with over 5,000 signatures of foreign workers and their supporters, asks the US Congress to provide permanent immigration status or “green card" to legal long-term non-residents in the CNMI.
It was only about 4 p.m. that the foreign workers got a chance to hand deliver a copy of their petition to a DOI staffer who was with the federal officials on Saipan.
“We have paid our dues and deserve a better status than we have had all these many years," the petition reads.
It adds, “US immigration law recognizes that temporary workers can become permanent; CNMI law does not. It is up to the US Congress to remedy this inequity."
But in a joint press conference with CNMI Governor Benigno R. Fitial shortly before noon Tuesday, the federal officials said they are mindful of the concerns of guest workers but immigration is not on their agenda during their Saipan visit.
While on Saipan, the federal officials met with CNMI government officials on energy, security and health issues, along with technical assistance grant funding.
The visiting dignitaries were led by Doug Domenech, the acting deputy assistant secretary for insular affairs of DOI and who also serves as deputy chief of staff for Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, and Nikolao Pula, director of the Office of Insular Affairs.
The Department of the Interior is the federal agency that administers the US relationship with its territories including the CNMI and Guam.
The dignitaries were back to Guam Tuesday afternoon to join other federal officials from Washington, DC in discussions about the military buildup on Guam.
Nevertheless, the federal officials said a group from the US Department of Homeland Security and the US Department of Labor will be on Saipan in the next few weeks to tackle immigration concerns.
Federal agencies are now drafting the regulations to implement a new law putting CNMI immigration under federal control effective June 2009.
“We've talked (about federalization) in very general way," Domenech told reporters during the press conference. “There's a team from Homeland Security and Labor that are coming to talk to people here. I think it's moving quickly."
Pula, for his part, said among the issues is Guam and the CNMI’s interest in the visa waiver program under the federal law.
“Be assured that the feds are going to come here and explain what they are going to be doing…It's not like the federal government is going to come down and take over everything," he said. - GMANews.TV
Although disappointed, the workers led by Human Dignity Movement president Jerry Custodio said they were at least able to show they are active in their pursuit of a better immigration status for foreign workers in the territory.
“We also want fair protection and treatment, justice to long-term workers, and payment of unpaid wages in Labor administrative orders," Custodio, from Tacloban, told GMANews.TV.
A petition from the group, with over 5,000 signatures of foreign workers and their supporters, asks the US Congress to provide permanent immigration status or “green card" to legal long-term non-residents in the CNMI.
It was only about 4 p.m. that the foreign workers got a chance to hand deliver a copy of their petition to a DOI staffer who was with the federal officials on Saipan.
“We have paid our dues and deserve a better status than we have had all these many years," the petition reads.
It adds, “US immigration law recognizes that temporary workers can become permanent; CNMI law does not. It is up to the US Congress to remedy this inequity."
But in a joint press conference with CNMI Governor Benigno R. Fitial shortly before noon Tuesday, the federal officials said they are mindful of the concerns of guest workers but immigration is not on their agenda during their Saipan visit.
While on Saipan, the federal officials met with CNMI government officials on energy, security and health issues, along with technical assistance grant funding.
The visiting dignitaries were led by Doug Domenech, the acting deputy assistant secretary for insular affairs of DOI and who also serves as deputy chief of staff for Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, and Nikolao Pula, director of the Office of Insular Affairs.
The Department of the Interior is the federal agency that administers the US relationship with its territories including the CNMI and Guam.
The dignitaries were back to Guam Tuesday afternoon to join other federal officials from Washington, DC in discussions about the military buildup on Guam.
Nevertheless, the federal officials said a group from the US Department of Homeland Security and the US Department of Labor will be on Saipan in the next few weeks to tackle immigration concerns.
Federal agencies are now drafting the regulations to implement a new law putting CNMI immigration under federal control effective June 2009.
“We've talked (about federalization) in very general way," Domenech told reporters during the press conference. “There's a team from Homeland Security and Labor that are coming to talk to people here. I think it's moving quickly."
Pula, for his part, said among the issues is Guam and the CNMI’s interest in the visa waiver program under the federal law.
“Be assured that the feds are going to come here and explain what they are going to be doing…It's not like the federal government is going to come down and take over everything," he said. - GMANews.TV
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