U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has approved the CNMI residency applications of five individuals who, with eight other applicants, had sued the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and USCIS in federal court for rejecting their applications.
On Friday, the parties in the lawsuit filed a stipulation for voluntary dismissal without prejudice.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mikel W. Schwab said five of the applicants accomplished the refiling of their applications and were successful in having those applications accepted by USCIS.
These applicants are Christine C. Pramis, Christopher R. Manalo, Cesar G. Lopez, Aliilua Panapa Peteru and Veisinia Tilisa Peteru.
“Having accomplished the re-processing of the applications, the United States believes the complaint and filings in this case are thereby moot,” Schwab told the court.
He said the applicants have agreed to stipulate to this requested dismissal, but added that “[n]othing in this agreement shall inhibit the future filing of any claim by the applicants regarding their immigration status. Each of the parties agree to bear their own costs and fees, including attorneys’ fees.”
As for the eight other plaintiffs and intervenors in the lawsuit, their applications for long-term resident status have been accepted by USCIS for refiling.
Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona of the District Court for the NMI approved the stipulation and issued an order dismissing the lawsuit without prejudice.
She also scheduled a status conference hearing for Aug. 9 at 10 a.m.
In Feb. 2021, nine of the plaintiffs sued U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and then-acting USCIS Director Tracy Renaud for rejecting the plaintiffs’ long-term CNMI residency applications.
The plaintiffs were Christine C. Pramis, Christopher R. Manalo, Cesar G. Lopez, Aliilua Panapa Peteru, Veisinia Tilisa Peteru, Pacifico C. Rivera, Ferdinand D. Arago, Anthony M. Alegre and Nimfa T. Tan.
Their attorney, Steven Pixley, said his clients were respectfully seeking “the narrow relief of an order from the court mandating that the respondents process their applications which were wrongfully rejected.”
The nine plaintiffs were later joined by Samarn Chaikhamjan, Kraisorn Chaijaroen and Crispino Rivera who were represented by attorney Joseph Horey, and by Maria Gloria Balila who was represented by attorney Joe W. McDoulett. The four filed a motion to intervene in the civil complaint.
Signed on June 25, 2019 by then-President Donald Trump, the NMI Long-Term Legal Residents Relief Act allows certain aliens who have resided continuously and lawfully in the CNMI since Nov. 28, 2009 to remain in the Commonwealth as CNMI-only permanent residents.
