He said he believes there is “sensitivity” in the process that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will implement in dealing with the CNMI’s guest workers.
“There’s no mass deportation. That is just the sense that I have,” he told reporters yesterday.
His department, he said, understands how difficult it is to wait this long, and how it affects businesses.
“We have been encouraging DHS to give out the rules and regulations as soon as possible. I think there’s frustration but my department, my office are trying to encourage DHS to move a little bit quicker,” he added.
Babauta said he does not think Interior will oppose Congressman Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan’s H.R. 1466 which will be discussed in a U.S. House subcommittee at midnight today, local time.
The bill will grant CNMI-only status for certain nonresidents.
Sablan’s measure, he added, is “a good step.”
“It’s good that he has been able to get the attention of the [U.S. House] committee and the subcommittee to have a hearing on his bill. So I don’t think that we will be opposing it,” he said.
Interior last year recommended to the U.S. Congress the granting of improved status to long-term CNMI guest workers.
