The lawyers for the U.S. government have again asked the federal court to dismiss the governor’s lawsuit against the federalization law, saying that the CNMI is attempting to “reframe” its alleged economic as injuries to its right to self-governance.
According to Reyes, however, “the CNMI cannot have meaningful self-government if it has no control over its economy and if it does not have a viable economy. These two arguments support the CNMI’s case.”
In September last year, the governor’s lawyers filed the lawsuit in the Washington, D.C. federal court.
Earlier this month, the CNMI Descents for Self-Government and Indigenous Rights asked the U.S. District Court to allow the group to join the lawsuit as “friend of the court.”
The indigenous group, in its motion, asked the court to deny the motion to dismiss filed by the U.S. government in December.
The lawyers of the U.S. government argued the CNMI’s lawsuit should be dismissed the arguments raised by the governor regarding the economic disaster scenario are hypothetical and speculative.
Reyes said the motion filed by the federal government was not filed in proper form and should be discarded.
The federal government’s response exceeded the 25-page limit requirement, he noted.
Reyes said one of the reasons the governor filed the lawsuit is to protect the CNMI’s Labor and Immigration employees because under federalization, there’s no assurance that these personnel can retain their jobs.
“We have appealed to the feds, but they have their rules,” Reyes said.
