Sablan said the U.S. House Subcommittee on Insular Affairs will hold an oversight hearing on the CNMI’s request to delay the June 1 implementation of the CNMI-related provisions of the federalization law, or U.S. P.L. 110-229.
The subcommittee, however, “decided to postpone the oversight hearing…until further notice and the chairwoman, in consultation with us, pushed back the date of that hearing,” Sablan told the local media in a teleconference yesterday.
Congresswoman Donna M. Christensen, D-V.I., chairs the subcommittee.
Sablan, Ind.-MP, said the Department of Homeland Security doesn’t have the $91 million needed to effectively federalize the local immigration system.
“Homeland Security doesn’t have enough funds at this time to implement the new system. We don’t want a quick and dirty operation in the CNMI. What we need is a first class operation because what we’re dealing here are tourists’ entry and exit requirements,” he added.
The congressman met with DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano and his key staff members recently.
Napolitano, Sablan said, “needs a little more time before we have the hearing. That’s only fair.”
Homeland Security is empowered by U.S. P.L. 110-229 to delay for 180 days the federalization of the islands’ immigration system.
The delay should be announced by May 1 or at least a month before the actual date of the law’s implementation, which is June 1.
The CNMI is strongly opposed to the exclusion of Russian and Chinese tourists in the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program.
The Fitial administration said the local economy stands to lose up to $200 million in a year without Chinese and Russian tourists.
Sablan is also concerned about the situation of immediate relatives of U.S. citizens who have no green cards.
Under the current local immigration system, the IRs are given CNMI-issued permits which provide them residency status.
