Babauta, the standard bearer of the Republican Party for this year’s U.S. congressional election, said most guest workers want to remain in the CNMI “to work.”
“If that is the case, Interior should be looking at a special permit work visa,” he said in an interview yesterday.
He said Interior’s proposed improved immigration status for guest workers is an “emotional and sensitive” issue for the local people who fear they might be disenfranchised in their own land.
He said the residency requirement for nonresidents seeking U.S. citizenship should start in 2008.
“With respect to citizenship, it should have the date from which the (federalization) law took effect. My thinking is that Congress should enact legislation that applies certain laws prospectively not retrospectively or retroactively,” he said.
“You don’t pass ex-post facto law because that’s against the U.S. constitution. You don’t pass a law to convict somebody who committed a crime yesterday. If you apply that same concept, it should begin to start when the immigration law took effect. So that everybody can stand in line and apply for improved status if they want to,” he added.
Close to 16,000 guest workers stand to benefit from Interior’s recommendation, which requires U.S. congressional approval.
Gov. Benigno R. Fitial and other CNMI elected officials are strongly opposed to Interior’s recommendation.
