United Workers Movement and Saipan City Taxi Association president Rabby Syed told Variety, “The delay is creating complication in the CNMI system. Everything is in jeopardy — workers, employees, and the local economy.”
Urging the Department of Homeland Security/ (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to issue the regulations as soon as possible, Syed pointed out that the workers need to find out what the regulations are so they can make decisions.
“Homeland Security needs to come up with the regulations before the umbrella permits expire in November,” said Syed adding that workers need to find out how they fit into the system in the commonwealth.
He said the longer the regulations are not issued, the more uncertainties this brings to the workers who need to plan for their future as much as the businesses too need to know what their labor requirements are.
Web designer Jun Domingo complained that the release essentially put their projects on hold. “Because of that delay, salaries get delayed because of projects on hold. Nobody can set a goal without any set of plans.”
Videographer and photographer Edwin Sta. Theresa told Variety that businesses could not move on as they wait for regulations for their workers.
“This greatly impacts our economy.”
Baba Guilung, who works for a local grocery, said, “Why did they say they’re putting out regulations in March when they couldn’t do it last month?
They should release the regulations soon.”
This frustration was likewise echoed by her coworker M. Islam. “How come these regulations are not yet out? We don’t know what to expect.”
Keisuke Higuchi, manager, Himawari, who has workers from the Philippines, Japan, and China, said the uncertainty on the status of workers poses a challenge to the business community.
“It will be a big problem if the workers will not have known their status by November this year. If they cannot [legally] stay here [and work], that will be a big problem!”
Senior spa therapist Pinky Antonino said, “Businesses have expansion plans that are on hold because they are waiting for the regulations. Workers’ plans are also on hold.”
Almira Tengco, cook, said, “They should release it soon so we will know what course of action to take. We don’t know what lies ahead of us. It’s frustrating. ”
Mar, who declined to disclose his occupation and his full name, said he has been on island for the last 14 years and complained that plans are indeed stalled.
“They should release the regulations soon so we know what to do. Some of our fellow workers have already left the island. Some workers, too, have already died. We hope DHS will give our situation the full attention that it deserves.”
Another guest worker, speaking through an interpreter, said, “We in the Chinese community express our dissatisfaction with the delayed release of the regulations. Our lives are put on hold.”
NMI needs clarity
Jane Mack, directing attorney of the Micronesian Legal Services Corp., said the CNMI needs clarity about the status of the aliens who are still here. “It is unfair to the people of the CNMI to perpetuate this uncertainty.”
Mack said, “The power rests with USCIS and the Department of Homeland Security. I think they are working hard and sincere in their efforts. But like any government agency, they fail to meet their own target dates because of other priorities. We know that the CNMI is small and already takes a disproportionate share of attention from U.S. officials. But the U.S. has agreed to provide us help and needs to finish this job as soon as possible.”
She told Variety that the CNMI would have had the regulations a long time ago had the commonwealth government been “more open, honest, and cooperative” in working with the federal government during the immigration transition.
“We might still see these if the CNMI government would now cooperate instead of trying to capitalize on the perceived failure of the Federal government’s handling of immigration here,” she said.
Despite the delay in the release of the regulations, Mack believes the U.S. immigration transition has been an improvement over CNMI controlled immigration. She cited as an example the case of foreign spouses who are getting permanent status and, with that, obtaining greater security and less vulnerability.
She said USCIS and DHS must realize the window of time is coming to an end. “We need these regulations.”
She told Variety that it would be imprudent to continue the umbrella permits. “If we are going to have a transition worker program that eventually rolls over all foreign employment into the traditional U.S. immigration model, it has to start now.”
For Mack, “If we are going to put the past behind us, we need to do that and we need the CW regulations as an important early step in that process.”
Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands chairman and Hyatt Regency Saipan general manager Nick Nishikawa said the delay is hurting staff morale and productivity.
“We care about the staff; however, with this uncertainty, most of the nonresident workers feel very unstable with their working and living status.
HANMI hopes that DHS will publish the regulations as soon as possible so that we can make some certain plan for our future business management.”
