Guam and representatives of federal agencies are scheduled to hold talks on Friday.
The CNMI, which will be represented by Immigration Director Melvin Grey, was supposed to participate in the meeting but Press Secretary Charles P. Reyes Jr. said the commonwealth was told late yesterday afternoon that the U.S. Department of the Interior was not prepared to discuss Northern Marianas issues.
Interior will act as the bridge agency between the CNMI and Washington, D.C. pending the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s taking over the local immigration system.
The details of regulations that will be enforced when the changes take place next year must be published in the Federal Register before their implementation.
Concerned local and federal agencies are now drafting the regulations.
“Our local authorities want to communicate with Interior our needs for access to workers, investors and tourists. We want economic sustenance in the future,” said Reyes.
“We want them to hear our concerns. We want the federal government to understand our needs and communicate our concerns to Washington, D.C.,” he added.
The press secretary said a U.S. Interior official, possibly Deputy Assistant Secretary Douglas W. Domenech, may visit the island soon.
