By Bryan Manabat
bryan@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations on Tuesday arrested Imperial Pacific International LLC’s controlling shareholder, Lijie Cui, for suspected immigration violations.
ERO agents took Cui, 68, into custody Tuesday morning and transported her to the Department of Corrections in Susupe for detention.
Cui, a Chinese national and longtime Hong Kong resident, has been a central figure in IPI, which operated Saipan’s casino for four years before shutting down in March 2020 at the onset of the Covid‑19 pandemic. She and her son, Xiaobo Ji, also a Chinese national, oversaw the development of the casino and hotel project in Garapan.
As a foreign investor operating in a U.S. jurisdiction, Cui is required to maintain a valid E‑2C long‑term investor visa to remain in the CNMI.
Variety sought comment from ERO Assistant Field Office Director Kathy Makaena, who oversees Honolulu, Guam, and Saipan. She said the request had been forwarded to the agency’s Office of Public Affairs for “review and response.”
As of Wednesday press time, ICE had not released any details regarding the basis of Cui’s arrest, nor has information been provided on when she will appear before an immigration judge.
IPI filed for bankruptcy in April 2024, reporting more than $165 million in liabilities. Team King Investment (CNMI) LLC completed its $12.95 million purchase of IPI’s casino assets last year following a court‑approved auction.
In federal bankruptcy filings, CNMI government representatives noted close ties between IPI and Team King principals, suggesting the relationship facilitated Team King’s acquisition of the casino assets. In a federal court declaration, Governor’s Office legal counsel Brendan Layde stated that IPI helped arrange Team King’s participation in the auction. Layde also disclosed that IPI manager and director Howyo Chi, 40, married Cui last year — roughly six months after IPI filed for bankruptcy.
The Apatang administration is now pursuing amendments to Public Law 18‑56, the statute that granted IPI an exclusive casino license on Saipan. The proposed changes would end IPI’s monopoly and allow multiple casino licenses in the Commonwealth.
Bryan Manabat was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College where he also studied criminal justice. He is the recipient of the NMI Humanities Award as an Outstanding Teacher (Non-Classroom) in 2013, and has worked for the CNMI Motheread/Fatheread Literacy Program as lead facilitator.
