But Rabby Syed, United Workers Movement president, is questioning the legality of the joint statement issued by Labor Deputy Secretary Cinta Kaipat and Attorney General Edward Buckingham regarding overstayers.
“How about their unpaid wages and pending cases? Kaipat should have helped them resolve the unpaid claims first,” Syed said.
Buckingham recently issued a public notice granting conditional “umbrella permits” to 628 aliens classified as overstayers, but this was later rescinded after Kaipat objected to the AG’s failure to consult Labor.
Syed said it was unfair for Buckingham to get information about the overstayers only to “disregard” them.
“Its looks like he was just making a trap for overstaying workers,” he said.
Danilo Rejano, an overstayer, was arrested and then released after posting a $300 cash bail for his outstanding bench warrant for not appearing in a previous court hearing.
He was arrested while trying to get the two-year conditional umbrella permit on Dec. 2.
Aside from a pending administrative case, Rejano said he also can’t leave his aging father, an immediate relative of a U.S. citizen.
Syed said Rejano was on the AG’s list of overstayers that were supposed to get a conditional “umbrella permit.”
The United Workers Movement and the Pilipino Contract Workers Inc. are now seeking legal advice, Syed said.
“I am also humbly asking the federal government to look into the case of the overstaying alien workers and come up with a solution,” he added.
Ronnie Doca, Pilcowa chairman, said former guest workers who no longer have status in the CNMI don’t want to return to their homeland for various reasons.
“Some of them have their family here, and they also have family in their country. Some have already sold their properties and don’t want to go home empty handed,” he said.
There are others who really want to go home but they cannot take their children with them because their country does not permit it, Doca said, referring to the Chinese guest workers.
Others, he added, prefer to stay here because they appreciate the CNMI.
An overstaying Bangladeshi told Variety that his girlfriend, an FAS citizen, is providing him and their children their daily subsistence.
He said he was terminated from his job in 2000 and has remained unemployed since then.
Syed is asking all overstayers to calm down while federal officials review their status.
“We will continue with our advocacy in helping guest workers, especially the overstayers,” he said.
