Atty. Ted Laguatan who, along with wife Josephine, arrived from San Francisco Wednesday was set to meet non-residents at the Nauru Building’s lobby at 5 p.m., yesterday.
Accompanied by Dr. Celia Lamkin, he paid a courtesy visit to Senate President Paul A. Manglona, one of the NMI senators sympathetic to the plight of non-residents in the islands.
Over the last several weeks, Laguatan has been giving advice over the phone, video conference and through letters, to non-residents who were anxious about having to leave the island in light of the full implementation of transitional worker regulation and the deadline last Nov. 27 of the NMI-issued umbrella permits of many guest workers here.
But in an interview at Manglona’s office, Laguatan said his presence here physically will enable him to communicate efficiently with the people he’s trying to help.
Due to technical problems, talking to people from miles away with just the help of technology limits the time “so you don’t get the complete picture of the situation.”
So it is really different that that he get to see personally the people he is talking with. That way, he can get the better sense of their anxieties and the facts that can factor in pursuing legal solution.
He noted that the non-residents who participated in the video conference with him a few weeks ago could hardly complete their questions so he also could hardly give the complete answers.
Laguatan said he noticed that many of them still don’t know about procedures and the available laws that can help them stay here.
In his first few hours here after he arrived Wednesday morning, a number of non-residents already came to him. These people, he noticed should have fixed their problems a long time ago because there are provisions in the U.S. immigration law that actually protects their rights.
Laguatan said it understandable however, that federal immigration law became applicable in the CNMI just recently. Also, he said there is not expertise in immigration law here.
The federalization of CNMI immigration system took effect in Nov. 2009.
At some point, Laguatan said there are non-residents here who will be helped, aside from those who will benefit from Cong. Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan’s H.R. 1466.
He said the idea is to advise people about the applicable laws that can help them solve their problems.
The administrative remedy that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued recently, granting parole to non-residents covered by H.R. 1466 “helped a lot” Laguatan said.
Within the one year that was given them, the non-residents, especially those who are jobless but are married to U.S. citizens and those who have U.S. citizen children, can find solutions to their problems.
There are different remedies available for different cases, he said.
Even those who came here with children that are not U.S. citizens can eventually find legal means to remain in the CNMI.
Under the Morton memo, Laguatan said those who will be subjected to removal, can request through their attorney to terminate the proceedings. If granted, they can stay under “deferred status” which will give them the chance to stay and have a work permit.
Manglona said he is really happy to meet Laguatan who he knows has been working for many years on immigration matters.
It is good know that there are people out there like Laguatan who are willing to volunteer their time helping people with their legal expertise and advising them how to face their predicaments.
