Fitial said his meeting with Napolitano, the former attorney general and governor of Arizona, is crucial to his administration’s stand that taking away local control over immigration will be disastrous to the islands’ fragile tourism-based economy.
Congressman Gregorio C. Sablan earlier asked Napolitano to delay the implementation of the federalization law on June 1 for 180 days.
Napolitano can delay the start of the transition phase under the law, or U.S. P.L. 110-229.
Fitial is expected to make the same request when he meets Napolitano in the nation’s capital.
“I am hopeful that I would meet with the new Department of Homeland Security secretary whom I am personally acquainted with,” he said.
The governor said he wants to hand-deliver to Napolitano his letter requesting a delay in the implementation of the federalization law.
Napolitano replaced Michael Chertoff as DHS secretary.
Chertoff is one of the defendants, in his official capacity as DHS secretary, in the lawsuit that the Fitial administration filed in the U.S. District Court for the District Court of Columbia.
The lawsuit seeks to prevent the federalization of local immigration.
Napolitano will be named as the new defendant in the CNMI lawsuit.
Still, the governor is hoping this will not affect his meeting with Napolitano.
The governor will first attend the three-day National Governors Association meeting in Washington scheduled for Feb. 21 to 23.
He will also attend the Pacific Basin Development Council and the Interagency Group on Insular Areas meetings led by new Interior Secretary Ken Salazar.
Fitial, moreover, is scheduled to attend the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force meeting.
