Surangel Whipps Jr.
KOROR (Island Times/Pacnews) — Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. was sued in Sherman, Texas, and was served the court summons earlier this month while campaigning in the state.
The lawsuit was filed by Christa Nafstad Toribiong, the wife of former President Johnson Toribiong, against Whipps in his official and personal capacities.
Mrs. Toribiong said Whipps declared her an “undesirable alien” without due process as guaranteed under the Compact of Free Association or U.S. Public Law 99-658. She said she was illegally barred from entering Palau because her name was added to a list of “undesirable aliens.” This has forcefully kept her apart from her spouse in Palau, she added.
According to her lawsuit, she was blacklisted without notice, reason or hearing, violating her right to due process as a U.S. citizen under the Palau Compact of Free Association, Article IV, Section 142 (a).
She said such “forced separation has caused financial stress and extreme emotional damage, causing her to acquire post-traumatic stress disorder.
She is asking the court to declare that the decision to add her name to the undesirable alien list is invalid and in violation of the Compact of Free Association.
She also asked the court to remove her name from the list of “undesirable aliens,” and declare that President Whipps “does not have legal authority to include [her] on the list…without any reason.”
She wants the court to hold Whipps liable both in his official and individual capacities for his “intentional action” to bar her from entering Palau.
In addition, she is seeking monetary compensation of $150,000 and attorney’s fees.
Mrs. Toribiong and her husband filed a similar lawsuit against Whipps in Palau last February.
