By Bryan Manabat
bryan@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
A CHINESE national in removal proceedings has asked the Saipan Immigration Court to deport him to the Republic of Palau.
Changwu Ruan, represented by attorney John Lee, appeared before Immigration Judge Clarence Wagner of Honolulu via teleconference on Friday. Lee told the court that Ruan has filed for asylum and does not want to be deported to the People’s Republic of China.
Ruan, speaking through an interpreter, said that if he could obtain a different passport, he wished to be deported to Palau instead.
Palau has a limited agreement with the United States allowing the transfer of certain third-country nationals, but acceptance is not automatic. Under the arrangement, Palau may receive individuals who are not being removed for criminal conduct, subject to its own review and approval. Any request by a respondent to be deported to Palau does not guarantee acceptance, and U.S. immigration authorities must coordinate with Palauan officials before any transfer can occur.
Wagner scheduled another hearing for Ruan for Feb. 4 at 9 a.m.
Ruan is among several Chinese nationals — including former Imperial Pacific International majority shareholder Lijie Cui, Xiping Gao and Zhinan Huang — who were placed in removal proceedings after being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations for alleged immigration violations.
Cui requested a bond hearing, which was granted and set for Jan. 27 at 10 a.m. Wagner has ordered Gao and Huang removed from the United States.
Two Filipino nationals, including Rizal De Guzman and another whose identity was not immediately available, were allowed to voluntarily leave the United States after telling the court they wanted to return home.
Bryan Manabat was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College where he also studied criminal justice. He is the recipient of the NMI Humanities Award as an Outstanding Teacher (Non-Classroom) in 2013, and has worked for the CNMI Motheread/Fatheread Literacy Program as lead facilitator.
