He also believes that all overstayers should be deported for not abiding with the immigration law.
Cruz said federalization aims to secure the islands from terrorists, end human rights abuses and reduce the number of non-residents.
“Our CNMI government should concentrate on our economy and critical issues such as the skills-training needed by our younger generation so that they will take over those jobs currently held by guest workers,” he said.
“I continue to advocate that every guest worker should go through the federal administrative process, for there is no short cut to citizenship at all,” he added.
Some overstayers interviewed said they still believe that they will be given legal status.
“There is a reason why they wanted us to register with the ombudsman office and we do not think it will harm us,” one of them said.
He and other overstayers that they believe the federal government will give them “amnesty.”
Federal authorities have said that there will be no amnesty for overstayers under federalization law.
Another overstayer, who declined to be identified, said he wants to go home but does not know how.
“I do not know what the authorities will do to me and where I will get money to buy my plane tickets,” he said.
He is afraid that he might be imprisoned or fined for overstaying.
