AN overwhelming majority of Tinian business owners believe that the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008, which extended federal immigration law to the CNMI, should be rescinded, according to a survey conducted by the Tinian Chamber of Commerce Inc.
Participating in the survey were Tinian business owners who answered questions regarding the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Only businesses that have a permanent office on Tinian and hire transitional CNMI-Only workers participated in the survey.
The participants were asked if they agree with the following statements:
• DHS/USCIS has failed the businesses of the CNMI and the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 should be rescinded.
— 17 of 21 respondents agreed.
• The money spent on USCIS would be better spent on the CNMI government to implement the foreign-worker program. The CNMI government understands the islands and the need for foreign workers.
— 18 of 21 respondents agreed.
• Long-term foreign workers have earned the right to be given unconditional permanent CW status due to their years of service.
— 20 of 21 respondents agreed.
• USCIS does not listen to the concerns of the leadership of the CNMI.
— 18 of 21 respondents agreed.
• The Department of Homeland Security/USCIS is doing a good job and no change is needed.
— 1 of 21 respondents agreed.
The Tinian Chamber of Commerce has provided U.S. Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan a copy of the survey result.
Neal B. Eisgrou, the secretary of Tinian Chamber of Commerce, told Kilili in the letter that “there is overwhelming support to rescind the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 (17 of 21 or 81%) and return the running of the foreign-worker program to the CNMI and, in addition, give the long-term CWs unconditional permanent CW status.”
Eisgrou added, “In order for the people of the CNMI to increase their prosperity businesses must be allowed to flourish and not have their efficiency reduced by USCIS. Please let me know the steps that will be taken to effect this much needed change.”
In an email interview, Eisgrou said most of the business owners on Tinian “are fed up with the treatment they are getting from the USCIS.”
Eisgrou said in 2021, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the U.S. Department of Labor’s response to CW applications was slow, and businesses did not have time to complete the recruitment process for Temporary Labor Certifications if any mistakes were made.
“USCIS refused to extend the stays of thousands of employees even after Congressman Sablan and Governor Torres sent letters on their behalf,” Eisgrou said.
