In a letter to Alan Bersin, commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Sablan said he had received reports of several instances in which travelers from the Northern Marianas had been detained because CBP officers were unfamiliar with travel authorizations issued by the Department of Homeland Security, their parent agency. Sablan said he wants Bersin to take corrective action.
“Two of the incidents reported to my office involved minor children,” said Sablan. “They were traveling as members of teams representing the Northern Marianas in national competitions. They had obtained all the necessary documents before leaving the NMI.
“But on arrival on the mainland these children, I am told, were separated from their adult chaperones and held for as much as five hours.
“One group actually missed their connecting flight, putting their participation in the national competition — and the performance of the team from the Northern Mariana Islands — in jeopardy.”
Since the transition to federal control of immigration in the Northern Marianas began on Nov. 28, 2009, foreign nationals who go to any other part of the United States and wish to return to the commonwealth must apply and receive a travel authorization from the Department of Homeland Security. Apparently, CBP officials at some U.S. borders are having trouble recognizing the validity of the authorizations.
Both of the incidents reported to Sablan occurred at mainland U.S. airports.
“This doesn’t seem to be a problem in Hawaii, where officials are closer to the ongoing immigration transition in the Marianas,” Sablan said.
“But it should not be a problem anywhere.
“We are trying to make the immigration transition as ‘least difficult’ as possible; and this is just one more kink in the transition that needs to be ironed out.”
Sablan wants Bersin to provide the necessary information and training to border officers to avoid future incidents. And he asked Bersin to provide specific confirmation to the Northern Marianas congressional office that these steps were being taken.
“I understand and fully support the security measures in place at all ports of entry,” Sablan told Bersin.
“However, delay due to lack of knowledge by a CBP officer about types of documentation issued by the Department of Homeland Security is not acceptable, especially when it causes a minor child to be separated from an adult supervisor.”
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