By Emmanuel T. Erediano
[email protected]
Variety News Staff
GOVERNOR David M. Apatang is asking the federal government for “targeted reforms to existing federal policies” to reflect “the realities of governing a small island community that plays an outsized role in America’s presence in the Pacific.”
He made the remarks Thursday while testifying before the Department of the Interior’s Interagency Group on Insular Affairs in Washington, D.C. Present were Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, other federal officials, and governors of U.S. territories.
With these reforms in federal rules, Apatang said, the CNMI can fully recover and move toward greater self-sufficiency. At the center of this recovery is air access, which he added “is directly affected” by how federal policies operate in practice.
For the Commonwealth, the governor told attendees, air access is not optional. It is how the CNMI economy functions and how island communities stay connected to the rest of the country. He explained that when routes are reduced, hotels are affected, workers lose hours, and visitors choose other destinations.
Apatang reiterated that the Economic Vitality and Security Travel Authorization Program, or EVS-TAP, “sits at the intersection of those priorities.” He said it supports the CNMI’s tourism market by enabling lawful visitors from key source markets to travel through a structured, transparent screening process, which in turn helps sustain air service and economic activity in the CNMI.
The governor also emphasized that EVS-TAP strengthens homeland security by improving visibility, vetting, and coordination before travelers arrive in the CNMI. For a small island jurisdiction, he said, that balance matters. “When EVS-TAP is in place and operating with stability, we can support air access and tourism while maintaining strong security coordination in the front end.”
“We take homeland security seriously. The CNMI works daily with federal partners and carries responsibility locally as well,” Apatang said.
“As we discuss border security, air transport, detention capacity, and enforcement in the Commonwealth, those decisions need to reflect how these systems work together in practice,” he said.
When security tools and economic access are aligned, Apatang said, the outcome is stronger for the CNMI and for the U.S. He stressed that economic stability and security are not competing goals, but reinforce one another.
The governor expressed appreciation for the opportunity to speak directly with federal partners, including the White House and the Office of Insular Affairs, saying forums like the IGIA matter because they allow him and other U.S. territory leaders to discuss how policy decisions operate on the ground.
Emmanuel “Arnold” Erediano has a bachelor of science degree in Journalism. He started his career as police beat reporter. Loves to cook. Eats death threats for breakfast.
