House Joint Resolution 16-21 also asks DHS to waive the 37-year-old limit for local applicants, acknowledge their job experience and exempt them from the physical test and training requirements.
The resolution came out immediately after the employees of CNMI Immigration met with lawmakers in the House of Representatives chamber last month to discuss the federal immigration law that will take effect on June 1.
U.S. Public Law 110-229, or the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008, states that once Homeland Security takes over immigration in the CNMI, the department should hire U.S. citizens residing in the islands “to the maximum extent practicable.”
According to House Joint Resolution 16-21, the federal requirements and procedures for hiring immigration employees “do not give any priority consideration to locals. Instead, they are likely to be at a greater disadvantage to other applicants nationwide.
Of the 68 CNMI immigration employees, 37 were automatically eliminated from being considered due to the age requirement.
The resolution added that the physical test and rigorous training requirements “are prejudicial to current CNMI immigration employees.”
