By Gemma Q. Casas
Variety News Staff

THE administration announced on Thursday that the Department of Labor closed nearly 3,200 pending labor cases, some from as far back as 1996 thru 2004, within a six-month period.
The announcement came in the wake of U.S. congressional push for extending federal immigration laws to the islands which the administration and CNMI business leaders oppose.
Gov. Benigno R. Fitial made the announcement at his residence where the individuals responsible for working on the backlog were recognized.
“These cases weren’t accumulated during my administration, but my administration had the job of cleaning them up. I asked the secretary of labor last September to get this done in six months,” said Fitial in a statement.
“A small group of dedicated people has closed the labor cases of 3,197 nonresident workers. They have done it efficiently, quietly and fairly. Every case has been examined carefully, and every worker still here in the commonwealth has had a chance to present his or her case at a hearing,” he added.
The governor said three recent high school graduates did the paralegal work: Tara Igitol Aldan, Josephine Taitano Kapileo and Khristine Villanueva de la Paz.
“These three young women, all recent graduates of Marianas High School, did the paralegal work on this project. They learned how to do all the technical work involved in publishing notices, making service of process and preparing orders. They also were the court clerks at the hearings,” he said.
The governor also recognized Jeffrey Tenorio Camacho, a veteran labor investigator, who helped close the labor cases.
“He fielded calls from lawyers and employers wanting more time and he has personally approved the paperwork on the closures of all 3,197 cases. Jeff worked every hearing as the Labor Department’s representative,” he said.
He likewise recognized Sophie Chin, a translator with the federal labor ombudsman’s office.
“Sophie’s role in the hearings was critically important. It is impossible to provide due process to workers who do not speak English without a caring, neutral translator. Sophie explained things over and over again, in one case after another, so each worker understood his or her case,” he said.
Labor Hearing Officer Barry Hirshbein heard much of the solved cases, Fitial said.
“Barry’s role was essential in ensuring that the procedures for handling this enormous number of cases in such a short time stayed well within the bounds of due process. He made sure that the rights of all concerned were protected,” the governor said.