If paroled under the category specified by USCIS, he said nonresident workers can eventually find a job and stay in the CNMI.
Although it’s only “speculation” that parole is extended or given on a yearly basis, Laguatan said the U.S citizen children can eventually petition their nonresident parents.
To assist Filipino nonresident workers without legal status in CNMI, the U.S. Pinoys for Good Governance is contemplating setting up a system like a foundation that will assist people in ‘semi pro-bono’ arrangement.
Laguatan, spokesperson for the U.S. Pinoys for Good Governance, said the main problem of nonresident workers in CNMI is finding a lawyer and getting funds for legal fees.
He said the Philippines government has funding though for Overseas Filipino Workers but only for labor and criminal cases.
Laguatan said he thought about establishing a system like the San Francisco Neighborhood Legal Assistance Foundation where he worked before becoming a lawyer.
“I am thinking if we can do it here in CNMI,” he said, in Filipino.
However, he said it would entail huge expense since the lawyer will be coming back and forth from U.S. mainland to Saipan.
For the meantime, Laguatan is pushing for a convenient way of helping cases of nonresident workers while away from CNMI.
He said those who need legal assistance may use the internet and send their concerns to his office.
Or, he added, they may establish an office that will help facilitate cases here and send that information to the law office in the mainland.
“In this way, many will be assisted and lots of problem resolved,” he said.
At the immigration forum on Thursday night in Marianas Business Plaza lobby arranged by the U.S. Pinoys for Good Governance, Laguatan told Filipino workers who have U.S. children but no longer have lawful status in CNMI not to worry.
“When you are being petitioned by your U.S. citizen children or spouse, even if you are illegal, overstaying, and work illegally, you have relief,” he said.
Even those with misdemeanors can also find relief, he said, citing the humane consideration in the law.
Laguatan talked lengthily amidst misinformation on immigration opinion about the apprehension of Filipino workers who were out of status after Nov. 27 when their CNMI-issued conditional permit expired.
He mentioned among others how out-of-status nonresident workers could find relief.
“It’s not the end of the world,” he said.
If arrested, he advised out-of-status nonresident workers to be courteous with the enforcer, then at the hearing with the immigration court, they should ask for continuance in court every time the period granted is exhausted.
He said the federalization statute, Public Law 110-229 was just implemented two years ago and the immigration defenses were not fully developed in the court.
“What is important is to get a good lawyer who can create a good defense,” he said.
Nonresident workers can also file for withholding of deportation by convincing the court about the imminent danger of life in the home country should he or she go home, he said.
Other relief is to always ask continually for extension of hearing, he said.
