In his testimony on Thursday before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans, and Insular Affairs, Gootnick noted that the CNMI-only permits will be reduced to zero by 2014 under the federalization law.
He echoed the CNMI government’s statement that the delay in the issuance of the rule has dramatically slowed down foreign investments, travel from other countries, and private sector growth.
U.S. Office of Insular Affairs Director Nikolao I. Pula, in his testimony, said “proper formulation of the regulation is necessary.”
In the interim, Pula said the federalization law mandates the U.S. Department of the Interior to provide technical assistance to the CNMI “to help grow and diversify the economy and assist in recruiting, training, and hiring U.S. citizens and nationals, lawful permanent residents and admissible citizens of the Freely Associated states.”
He noted that the law did not provide a funding source, but Interior is committing up to $1 million in assistance to fulfill the statute’s requirements.
Marianas Visitors Authority Board Chairwoman Marian Aldan Pierce, for her part, strongly recommended that the final rules for the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program “be promulgated as soon as possible.”
Gootnick reported that from Nov. 28, 2009 to April 30 this year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection admitted 514,828 travelers to the CNMI with 68,746 granted parole.
CBP also began renovating 14,000 sq. ft. of inspection space and expects to complete the $14.2 million renovation project by Sept. 2011.
Another Department of Homeland Security component, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, had identified 1,654 individuals in potential violation of U.S. immigration laws.
Gootnick said based on the data GAO received, ICE had initiated removal proceedings for 236 of these cases, with decisions rendered for 133 and 48 of which resulted in removal.
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, for its part, processed 1,033 CNMI applications for permanent residents as of June 2011.
