Unlike contractual workers, civil servants have certain protected benefits as part of their employment with the local government.
For instance, their salaries cannot be diminished unless approved through a legislative action.
In his Jan. 4 letter to Attorney General Edward T. Buckingham, Tudela inquired about their status in government service.
“Although it was mentioned that [the division] ‘has finally come to a conclusion,’ I am still in limbo on the status of my employment. There are about five other long-time civil service employees who were never formally informed about their futures in the CNMI government after the closure of [Immigration],” Tudela told Buckingham.
The Division of Immigration was under the AG’s office, and was shut down a month after the U.S. federalization of local immigration occurred on Nov. 28, 2009.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers are now manning all ports of entry to the CNMI.
The majority of the over 30 local Immigration employees are believed to be “over-aged” to qualify for employment under federal guidelines.
They must also pass certain tests before they can be employed by the federal government.
The displaced local immigration personnel are hoping they can be absorbed by CNMI government agencies that have vacancies.
