Sablan said these individuals, including those born here between 1974 and Jan. 1978, have status but only under CNMI immigration law. Under the federal Immigration and Nationality Act, these individuals have no status and will become deportable after Nov. 2011.
“We need to help those people before Nov. 2011,” he said.
There are about 300 CNMI permanent residents, 91 persons born here during the TT period and several IRs in the CNMI, he added.
Sablan said his priority are individuals married to U.S. citizens.
He said he cannot stand to see families torn apart just because the non-U.S. citizen mother or father cannot meet the income threshold to get improved immigration status.
“So what do we do? Because they can’t meet the income threshold we deport them? That’s immoral,” he said.
Asked what’s in store for CNMI guest workers, Sablan said: “Not everyone will be helped. No one will get an automatic green card.”
He said he is waiting for the CNMI Senate’s recommendation regarding the future status of nonresident workers in the commonwealth.
Once the CNMI Senate report comes out, Sablan said he will give it “the attention it deserves.”
Sablan said the CNMI needs workers, especially for the hotel industry.
The sudden departure of workers, he added, is not good for the CNMI. The islands will have fewer consumers and an already bad economy will get worse, he said.
All these things, he added, must be taken into consideration.
