By Haidee V. Eugenio
Variety Assistant Editor

FORMER Insular Affairs Director Allen Stayman and another U.S. Senate staffer will be arriving on Saipan tomorrow afternoon for a fact-finding mission as part of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources’ plan to federalize the CNMI immigration system.
The fact-finding mission is a follow-up to the Feb. 8 hearing in Washington, D.C. on CNMI labor, immigration, law enforcement and economic conditions by the U.S. Senate panel which has jurisdiction over the CNMI and other insular areas.
Stayman will be accompanied by fellow U.S. Senate staffer Josh Johnson. Both of them last visited the CNMI in March 2005.
Stephen Sander, OIA’s congressional liaison, will also be arriving with Stayman and Johnson at 3 p.m. tomorrow.
“Their goal is to meet with key local government officials and private sector groups and organizations to discuss issues regarding immigration and what impact any changes might have on the Commonwealth. They are here to get feedback and gather information,” according to a statement from the office of OIA Saipan field representative Jeff Schorr issued yesterday afternoon.
OIA said Sander’s inclusion shows the Bush administration’s willingness “to work with Congress on these issues.”
The group Our Commonwealth, according to one of its coordinators, Kodep Ogumoro-Uludong, will be meeting with the U.S. Senate staffers.
“Our message is the same,” said Ogumoro-Uludong, referring to the group’s position that there should not be any federalization without consultation with CNMI residents.
Stayman and Johnson will be departing late Tuesday afternoon.
Sander will remain on Saipan for the rest of the week for follow-up meetings and additional opportunities to collect information on immigration, the minimum wage and other economic issues.
On Sunday, the visitors will visit a pre-position ship, meet with a Northern Marianas College Current Issues class, and the Dekada organization leadership. Dekada seeks to improve the immigration status of long-term alien workers in the CNMI.
On Monday, Stayman’s group will meet with the Saipan Chamber of Commerce, the Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Marianas Visitors Authority, federal officials and the Our Commonwealth organization’s leadership.
OIA said on Tuesday, the visiting federal officials will be meeting with officials of the local Department of Labor and Division of Immigration, as well as Gov. Benigno R. Fitial, his cabinet, Washington Rep. Pete A. Tenorio, and members of the Legislature.
The delegation has also scheduled two “media availability” sessions, both at 1:30 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday at the Hyatt Regency. They will be guests on “Island Issues” on KZMI-FM, Tuesday morning.