More than hundreds of alien workers trooped at the Civic Center, meeting the Sept. 30 deadline set by the Bureau of Immigration for alien registration.
However the Immigration did not collect fees. They only issued the Immigration card.
Asked if there will be extensions of registration for alien workers who fail to register on the deadline, Immigration failed to comment.
Meanwhile for those alien workers who were already registered and paid $25, accordingly their payments will be refunded but for further notice from the immigration.
There are at least 6,000 foreign workers in Palau and more than half have already registered since the implementation of alien registration on August 16 to Sept. 30.
The preliminary injunction on the class action lawsuit was filed by plaintiff Bernadette H. Carreon, on behalf of the alien workers against the Palau Government and President Johnson Toribiong which questions the legality of the alien registration scheme because it violates equal protection of the Constitution.
On Tuesday the preliminary injunction hearing was conducted before Supreme Court Chief Justice Arthur Ngiraklsong. The plaintiff and defendants through their lawyers presented their oral arguments.
After hearing both parties, Chief Justice Ngiraklsong on Wednesday issued his decision.
On the six-page order stated that Court grants the plaintiffs’ application for a preliminary injunction. The defendants, their officers, agents, servants, employees, trial counselors, attorneys or any persons in active concert or participation with them who receive actual notice of the order by personal service or otherwise are hereby enjoined from levying any fines for alien’s failure to register under Section 706, or the enforcement of any other penalties provided by law for an alien’s failure to register, until such time as the matter can be fully adjudicated.
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