GALVIN Sablan Deleon Guerrero, independent candidate for CNMI delegate to the U.S. Congress, on Thursday issued the following statement in response to a Jan. 15, 2026 letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security calling for changes to federal visa and travel policies affecting the CNMI:
“I share the concerns that have been raised about threats to our national security. And while we should welcome tourists and support the hospitality industry, we should not repeat the mistakes of the past by making ourselves vulnerable to bad actors. Those mistakes invited birth tourism to thrive as an underground industry, allowed criminals and drugs to infect our islands, and threatened the welfare of our Commonwealth.
“Now, more than ever, we must take steps to secure our borders. Not only are we home to strategic U.S. military assets, but our people are proud, patriotic Americans who have served in our country’s armed services at enlistment rates higher, per capita, than most states.
“Make no mistake, I support a thriving hospitality industry. Our economy needs it. But let’s revive tourism in a sustainable and safe manner, not a way that puts our national security and our people at risk.
“We should be reinforcing national security, not weakening it. Anyone who says otherwise is a threat to that security.”
