If I remember right, you were then the Vice President of our organization and I was then the Secretary during the year 2000. I am glad that since then, after 13 long years of your stay in Saipan you finally decided to leave for another place where you can explore more of your talent and skills.
Pete, your written response and suggestions on your letters to the editor dated July 7, 2010 is really a commendable one. “Mutual cooperation among the local people, the government and the guest workers in securing a sustainable economy, as well as maintaining a stable political affairs with both the U.S. government and the bilateral relationships with all of the host countries of all guest workers on island. However, the CNMI is never at peace with the U.S. Department of the Interior’s findings & recommendations to the U.S. with some relevant limitations. And at present, I can still personally feel the same spirit of arguments and disagreements to any status changes in the guest worker program”.
July 7, 2010 at 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM, Senate Committee on Federal Relations and Independent Agencies held its third of seven public hearings on the status of alien workers at Garapan Elementary School. “The first two public hearings drew opposing views from members of the community on the U.S. Department of the Interior’s recommendation to grant long-term status to foreign workers who have been legally residing in the CNMI for at least five years”. Some says, let there be a status quo, others wanted to have a referendum, a businessman says, “Commonwealth-only foreign workers status.” which is which? They say that we came here just for employment “contract worker” just that… with no provisions other than employment “only”… and or working here for more than five years is not a passport for U.S Citizenship. Very true, no questions and doubt about it.
But, on Nov. 28, 2009, the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and other Federal immigration laws took effect in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), as provided by the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 (CNRA). This prompted all foreign workers to pushed hard on the improve status and lately struggled for the immediate passage of any of the five recommendation of the Department of the Interior to the US Congress. The main intent of US Congress in passing this legislation is to ensure effective border controls and properly address national security and homeland security concerns by extending U.S. immigration law to the CNMI. See Section 701(a) of Public Law 110-229. Also, the CNRA tends to phase-out nonresident contract workers and phase-in U.S federal immigration system in a manner that will minimizes adverse economic effect and maximizes the CNMI potential economic depressions.
So, baseless fears and unfounded judgment that foreign nationals will enter politics is out of contest at this early stage of the struggle. The truth is that, CNMI needs foreign nationals to maintain the workforce and sustain the economy and because CNRA opens its doors to all foreign nationals for improve status, we will not hesitate to enter for our security on immigration while earning for a living just like any US citizen thus, because we wanted stability, wanted to settle without fear and wanted to stay for a living in the place we called home, a peace loving diverse community and its people.
Pete, I agree with you on your thoughts about the foreign guest workers in the CNMI that if ever will become U.S. citizens — they are not a threat at all in CNMI politics. Most aliens of different nationalities are patient and peace-loving people, of course with a few exceptions. And if we were to analyze the current political status in the island, it is noted that elected politicians are (if not all) married to a former foreign nationals and yet indigenous voters opted to vote for the said candidate without fear of influencing their behalf if elected.
1978, the CNMI has admitted a substantial number of foreign workers through an Immigration system that provides a permit program for foreigners entering the CNMI, such as Foreign Workers and Investors. Under this program the CNMI government executed employment contract and it is administered by CNMI Department of Labor and Employment Services that includes provisions under the Application to Employ Non-resident Workers and Employers Non-resident Worker Agreement Section B, Paragraph L that;”any non-resident worker to be employed under this agreement shall be utilized to train resident worker(s) and shall submit a report to the Director of Employment Services regarding the training of resident workers(s)”. My questions are, is this particular paragraph was properly executed by both employers and Department of Labor and Employment Services? I don’t think so….
May 8, 2008, former President Bush signed into law the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 (CNRA) that extend Federalization Law in CNMI. Thirty (32) long years (1978-2008), if the CNMI Government is dedicated and sincere in administering Non-resident Agreement Section B, Par. L, there would be no longer foreign workers in the island at this very moment because trained local work force within that period of time had long before I came to Saipan in 1996 been occupying our jobs and is employed by private businesses in the island. With that in place, there would be no longer arguments on improve status of foreign workers, public hearings; forums and motorcades in support of the five (5) recommendations of DOI to the US Congress. And why is it that the DOI recommends five (5) options for the foreign workers status in CNMI, when in fact US-INA is already exist and in effect? Is it because the CNMI badly needs foreign workers? If that is so, the DOI is strongly supporting the CNMI’s economy in that since. The message is crystal clear, that the DOI had been in consultation with the CNMI Government long before they have drafted the five recommendations otherwise DOI is not incompliance with the US Congress requirements as provided under the CNRA or PL 110-229. If DOI is in non-compliance with the order under the CNRA, then that five (5) recommendation will surely be rejected by the US Congress and it will be return back to where it belongs, and in that sense, CNMI Senate Committee on Federal Relations and Independent Agencies public hearings on the status of alien workers is very essential. Mother Theresa says and I quote; “I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.” End of quote.
CARLITO MARQUEZ
Puerto Rico, Saipan
