Unheard No More!

Not Safe, Not Normal

2017-02-25T07:58:00.001-05:00

February 25, 2017

©2017 W.L. Doromal
Women's March on Washington

Any U.S. citizen who feels 'safer' because of the Muslim travel ban and immigration executive order should rethink that notion. The country is anything but safe. Planting the seeds of a revolution is not an act that encourages safety or security.

Trump called his deportation blitz targeting undocumented immigrants a 'military operation' and referred to people who have paid taxes for decades as 'bad dudes':

"We're getting really bad dudes out of this country, and at a rate that nobody's ever seen before," Trump said Thursday.

"And they're the bad ones. And it's a military operation." He added: "You see what's happening at the border. All of a sudden for the first time, we're getting gang members out. We're getting drug lords out."

This 'operation' is xenophobic, ill-planned and dangerous - a reflection of the new administration. It reminds me of the snatchers and dementors from the Harry Potter movies.

ICE agents have raided a Texas court taking a woman seeking an order to protect herself against domestic violence. They also grabbed two Latino men at leaving a church shelter in Virginia and picked up a DREAMer with DACA papers in Seattle.

An American citizen who was born in Puerto Rican was held in a Chicago detention center for three days before Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Illinois) got him released.

U.S. citizen and NASA scientist, Sidd Bikkannavar, was detained by Homeland Security at the Houston Airport and forced to turn over his cell phone and access code.

Muhamad Ali Jr, son of the legendary boxer was detained at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport in Florida after a trip to Jamaica. He was held for two hours and quizzed about religious identity. Likewise, U.S. Olympian and bronze medal winner Ibtihaj Muhammad, also a Muslim, was detained at U.S. Customs for two hours.

A Salvadoran woman with a brain tumor who is seeking asylum in the U.S. was taken from the hospital and returned to a detention center in Texas.

Regardless of their country of origin, agents have been deporting all immigrants to Mexico, further straining broken relations with this country,

This federal 'operation' drains resources from local law enforcement agencies. It makes targets of anyone with brown skin, anyone who speaks a foreign language or anyone who has a certain surname. My daughter suggested that Boboy carry his citizenship papers with him because he has often been mistaken for a Mexican. Sad.

I do not know anyone who feels safer. I do, however, know people who feel more depressed, more paranoid, and more militant. The 'really bad dude' is sitting in the White House.

Truth Matters

2017-02-24T19:19:00.002-05:00

February 24, 2017

©2017 W. L. Doromal
Women's March on Washington

Support democracy and a free press -subscribe to the New York Times.

2017-01-28T19:53:00.001-05:00

January 28, 2017

Women's March on Washington ©W. L. Doromal 2017

A protest has erupted at JFK and other U.S. airports as Trump has signed an executive order blocking refugees and even green card holders from certain Muslim counties from entering the United States. Exempted from the order are the Muslim countries where he has financial interests, such as hotels and golf courses.

With every hateful and despicable executive order, Trump undermines the American values on which our nation was founded, tarnishes the reputation of our country and acts as a wrecking ball for human rights.We can expect to see daily protests across America. We must organize, protest, speak out, and fight back!

Call your members of Congress and the U.S. Senate at 202-224-3121 to ask them to speak out against anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant bigotry and oppose these Executive Orders.

Speaking Out for Justice In Saipan

2016-06-19T07:51:00.004-04:00

June 18, 2016

Saipan Representative Ed Propst made a courageous and heartfelt statement about the state of the CNMI's nonresidents. May his voice be heard in Washington, D.C. Thank you, Ed.

Facebook post of Ed Propst:

I am most certain that many will use the plight of the contract worker (CW) as a campaign tool this election season. That is to be expected. I know I've been told that by publicly supporting contract workers it will hurt me and may cost me getting re-elected. That is fine with me, because the truth is, losing an election pales in comparison to losing a home, and that is what we are seeing right now with the expected exodus of 1,300 longtime workers before the end of this year.

I am writing this right now with tears in my eyes, because I am devastated at the thought of someone as amazing as Mami Ikeda and other contributing members of our community leaving our islands for good. And "contributing members" is an understatement! I have witnessed the contributions of Mami and so many others who have given their heart and soul to our islands.

The notion that we must have all CW's depart our islands so that we can give all these 13,000 current jobs being filled by our guest workers to our people is something I often hear, and I understand the frustration of some of our people. But please, hear me out.

From an economic standpoint, even if we were to take every available one of our people currently on island to fill the slots of our contract workers, we still would not be able to fill every position. We have been told that there are 10,000 locals ready to fill the positions. The problem is, we currently have 12,999 current CW's, so even if that number were accurate, we would still be 2,999 people short for employment. Add to the fact that our economy is in an upswing and more jobs will open up? We are looking at adding another 1,000 to 2,000 jobs within the near future. So where will we find the additional employees to fill the 5,000 additional jobs if we were to have 10,000 of our people fill these jobs right now? Some of our people may finally return home from the mainland and elsewhere to work, but will we have 5,000 of them returning? How many of our people who have homes in the mainland right now will come back home to receive lower wages than what they are currently making in the United States? These are the questions that need to be answered. What about the skilled labor positions? Do we have enough of our people currently on island who can fill the needed skilled labor for carpenters, plumbers, accountants, welders, mechanics, nurses (50 percent of our nurses right now at CHCC are CW's by the way), chefs, and so forth?

From a humanitarian standpoint, we are seeing long term contract workers having to pack up and leave immediately. These are long term workers who have been living here not just for one or two years, but ten, twenty, and even thirty years. Many of them living on island have children who were born here, who went to school here with our children, who graduated here, and several of whom are currently serving in our military, defending our country and commonwealth. These long term community workers have given so much to all of us, from waiting and serving and cooking for us at the restaurants, to caring for our children and our elderly as caretakers and nannies, to building our homes, our roads, our infrastructure. While we use the term contract workers, we also use the term guest workers. But we can also call them our family, which is what they are to so many of us, as they break bread with us at our homes and we at their homes, and they have become our kumpaires and kumaires, our brothers and sisters.

There is no doubt that we must build local capacity and train our people to take on the jobs available right now. There is no doubt in my mind that we leaders of the Commonwealth must start investing in the Northern Marianas Trades Institute and other training academies and give them real money to properly train our people. But we must go beyond that. We must work on reliable and affordable transportation so that our people can be able to get to work and back, since there are so many who just cannot afford to buy cars right now. Sorry, but the illegal taxis just are not meeting the demand for transportation.

While we work on building local capacity, we must address the shortfall right now. Today. From an economic and humanitarian standpoint, our community workers are critical to these islands. And what is even more critical is that we understand that many of these contract workers who have lived here for decades have no home to go home to, because this is and has been their home for decades.

I know what I have said may not be politically popular and I am certain some will use what I have said in this post and other posts against me, but that is okay with me. My heart still belongs to the people of the CNMI and I have given 100% of myself while in office, but will do so even out of office. As a public servant, I have an obligation to be true to not just the people I serve, but to be true to myself. I am a public servant, one who serves EVERYONE, regardless of whether or not you are in my precinct, and regardless of whether you are a permanent resident or a guest worker. Love all, serve all.

May God bless our beloved Commonwealth and all of the good people living on our islands. I pray for a better future for all. One heart, one love. Good night.

It Is Always the Right Time to Do the Right Thing

2016-06-07T10:41:00.002-04:00

June 4, 2016

“If not us, then who? If not now, then when?”

- John Lewis, Freedom Rider and U.S. Congressman

A recent Saipan Tribune article states that Delegate Kilili Sablan will introduce legislation to enact a ten year extension to the severely flawed CW program. The bill will call for a increase in the cap of CW to 18,000. Perpetuating a broken system will not solve the immigration problems. However, granting the legal, long-term nonresidents a pathway to U.S. citizenship would help to ensure a skilled and stable workforce.

Each time the U.S. extends this program it becomes more like the old CNMI immigration system, which regarded nonresident workers as disposable, replaceable labor units and allowed for abuses to flourish.

The only reasons advocates backed the federal takeover were to:

End abuses - Not accomplished. In fact, employers still maintain power over the foreign workers by threatening them with non-renewal if they complain of late wages, unpaid overtime or other abuses. Amazingly, the Federal Government made things worse by closing the Ombudsman Office, which served as the sole place where nonresident workers could seek assistance.
Phase in the U.S. immigration system - Not accomplished. We already saw one extension and another looms as Delegate Sablan and other 'leaders' are calling for a ten year extension.
Provide status for legal, longterm nonresidents - Not accomplished. Xenophobic politicians in Guam and the CNMI ensured that the status provision was removed from the CNRA and replaced with a provision calling for the DOI to make recommendations to Congress within 3 years of passage of the law. That 2010 DOI report recommending a pathway to citizenship was ignored.

Sablan was quoted as saying:

“Why don’t I just go ahead and push for status like I did before? I want to but the composition of Congress has changed,” Sablan said, noting Republican ranks that have ousted its own Republicans like former Rep. Eric Cantor in primary election, and how they “kicked out” former House speaker John Boehner. “…That’s power,” Sablan said.

It is always the right time to do the right thing. We cannot wait for the composition of Congress to be aligned with our views. In fact, when there was a Democratic House and Senate early in Obama's first term no corrective action was taken. Was that not the 'right' time?

Did Susan B. Anthony wait for the 'right time' to demand women's right to vote? Did the Vietnam War protestors wait for the 'right President' to be in the White House to demand an end to the war? Did the civil rights leaders wait for the 'right composition' of Congress to favor them before they demanded equal rights?

No, because NOW is always the right time for justice to be served.

USCIS Immigration System is a Huge Mess in the CNMI

2016-05-27T09:29:00.001-04:00

May 26, 2016

W. L. Doromal

It was clear that the federal CNMI-only immigration system had serious flaws from soon after it was implemented. Now that the program is coming to a close, a humanitarian crisis looms.

The USCIS imposed cap of 12,999 CW permits for 2016. It was reached this month, meaning that no more nonresident workers can be hired or renewed this year. That includes nonresident workers whose permits expire later this year. Many of them have lived and worked in the CNMI for 15 or more years.

From the Marianas Variety:

CW-1 workers has already been reached for fiscal year 2016, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will reject CW-1 petitions received after May 5, 2016 and those that request an employment start date before Oct. 1, 2016.

This includes CW-1 petitions for extensions of stay subject to the CW-1 cap. The filing fees will be returned with any rejected CW-1 petition, USCIS said in a media release.

“If an extension petition is rejected, then the beneficiaries listed on that petition are not permitted to work beyond the validity period of the previously approved petition, Therefore, affected beneficiaries, including any CW-2 derivative family members of a CW-1 nonimmigrant, must depart the CNMI within 10 days after the CW-1 validity period has expired, unless they have some other authorization to remain under U.S. immigration law.”

Several private-sector employers are expected to be significantly affected by the USCIS announcement.

I spoke to one nonresident worker yesterday by phone. He has lived in the CNMI for 19 years and is beyond despondent and panicked. His permit expires later this year and cannot be renewed because the cap has been met. He stated he will have to leave within ten days of the expiration and has absolutely no home to return to in his home country of Bangladesh. His family is here under separate permits.

Nineteen years is not a temporary gig. Thousands of nonresidents who are impacted by this crisis are truly de facto citizens. They have lived and worked in the CNMI most of their adult lives.

CNMI and U.S. leaders, politicians and officials should accept the blame for the immigration mess in the CNMI. The failure to provide a status provision in the original law was the first huge mistake. Everyone knew that there was not an adequate workforce to replace the tens of thousand of nonresident workers that fueled the CNMI economy.

In the end, selfishness and prejudice won over common sense and the ethical choice. H.R. 3079 passed in 2008 becoming U.S. P. L. 110-229, the Consolidated Natural Resources Act (CNRA). It passed without providing a logical provision for status for the legal, longterm nonresident workers. (Read more about the background and mistakes in this older post.)

There was however, a provision in the bill mandating that the U.S. Department of Interior make a recommendation to the U.S. Congress regarding a secure status for the nonresident workers. The 2010 DOI Report on Status for the CNMI Nonresidents that was mandated in the CNRA, P.L. 110-229 stated:

"Consistent with the goals of comprehensive immigration reform, we recommend that the Congress consider permitting alien workers who have lawfully resided in the CNMI for a minimum period of five years to apply for long-term status under the immigration and nationality laws of the United States."

This recommendation provided the perfect opportunity to correct past mistakes and enact critical legislation. A bill would have passed if DOI, Deputy Secretary of Insular Affairs Tony Babauta pushed it and if Delegate Gregorio Sablan had introduced legislation to make the recommendation law. At that time President Obama had both a Democratic House and Senate, so the passage was certain. As often is the case, the CNMI leaders and politicians put their own political careers ahead of justice, democratic principles and humanitarian needs. No bill was introduced.

But enough with looking backwards. What can be done today? The CNMI leaders could introduce legislation to grant temporary CNMI-status to the legal, longterm nonresidents –those who have worked in the CNMI five or more years. This would benefit the CNMI business owners, economy and the nonresidents until a more permanent solution is achieved.

Additionally, Delegate Sablan could introduce legislation that would grant green cards and a pathway to citizenship to all legal, longterm nonresident workers. For decades U.S. officials and members of Congress have told me, "Committees bow to the wishes of the territories' delegates." There certainly is nothing to lose by trying.

Discussions with the Obama Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, USCIS must take place immediately to avert an economic and humanitarian crisis.

One thing is for sure, the CNMI's Government's never ending search to find qualified U.S. citizens to replace the workers is futile. There just are not enough locals to fill the thousands of positions and no amount of recruiting will lure enough U.S. citizens to relocate from the mainland to work for poverty-level wages.

Nonresident Worker Bill Passes CNMI House

2016-04-01T13:20:00.000-04:00

April 1, 2016

The CNMI House unanimously passed a bill to charge nonresident workers $50 for an identification card.

Nonresident workers in the CNMI are regulated by USCIS, not the CNMI Department of Labor. They already pay excessive fees for their U.S. permits.

This appears to be another scheme to make money off the backs of the legal, nonresident workers who make up about 90% of the CNMI's private labor force. The collected funds are to be used "to enforce rules and regulations pertaining to non-immigrant workers."

I doubt that this bill is even constitutional. Shame on every lawmaker who voted for this bill.

The Marianas Variety quoted comments I made in 2010 when the legislature proposed this scheme and the same remarks apply today:

In March 2010, human rights advocate and former Rota educator Wendy Doromal criticized CNMI Public Law 17-1 for its provision that required foreigners to register with DOL.

She said it was a blatant attempt by the CNMI government to maintain control over “the disenfranchised underclass.”

“They want to continue to fill their coffers on the backs of the foreign contract workers, their families and other foreign nationals,” she said referring to the CNMI government.

She noted that since Nov. 28, 2009, the federal government has had authority over CNMI immigration and the foreign national workforce, not the commonwealth government or its Department of Labor.

She said there was no other local or state government in the U.S. that required foreign nationals to have an identification card, adding that those powers fall under federal law.

USCIS Finalizes Rule Allowing Grace Period for CW-1 Permit Renewals

2016-01-18T06:54:00.002-05:00

January 2016

USCIS published the final rule that allows the CNMI's CW-1 nonresident workers to continue working during a 240-day grace period as long as the application for the new permit was submitted before the old one expired.

Under current regulations the nonresident workers, who make up a majority of the CNMI's private sector workforce, must stop working the day their CW-1 permits expires. The law has had a devastating effect on businesses, employees and the economy with USCIS taking months to process the routine renewals applications.

The rule was proposed on May 12, 2014, but was not signed and posted in the Federal Register until January 15, 2016. According to the Federal Registry, the final rule goes into effect on February 16, 2016. From the final rule:

In this final rule, DHS also amends its regulations to authorize continued employment for up to 240 days for H-1B1, principal E-3, and CW-1 nonimmigrant workers whose status has expired, provided that the petitioner timely filed the requests for extensions of stay with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Such amendment will minimize the potential for employment disruptions for U.S. employers of H-1B1, principal E-3, and CW-1 nonimmigrant workers.

Congressman Gregorio C. Sablan has been urging USCIS to clear the backlog of unprocessed CW-1 permits for months. Over 2,800 permits had been back-logged since last year. Last week Congressman Sablan visited the USCIS California Office where the CNMI's permits are processed to urge the clearing of the backlog.

The rule is another welcome band aid for a broken immigration system. The most sensible permanent fix that would help to solve the CNMI's skilled worker shortage would be to grant all legal long-term nonresident workers permanent residency status with a pathway to citizenship.

CUC Did Not File Renewals Until Days Before the Deadline

2016-01-07T06:20:00.002-05:00

January 7, 2016

U.S. District Court for the NMI Judge Ramona Manglona rejected CUC's request for a temporanry restraining order that would have allowed 18 skilled CUC workers to continue working while their petition for renewal was processed by USCIS.

The lawsuit filed by CUC suggested that the USCIS delayed the processing of the permits, when in reality the permits were submitted on December 28, 2015 only days before the December 31, 2015 deadline.

How infuriating this must be to the employees who must trust that their employers will process their renewals in a responsible timely manner. They are out of work (and pay) because the employer waited until the last minute to submit their CW-1 applications. The action also does not reflect much concern for the residents of the CNMI who depend on the utility services.

The engineers and other skilled workers who have been employed by CUC for years and even decades should have been petitioned under H-1B Visa program so that they could earn a pathway to citizenship. The CUC owes them that much for their years of dedicated employment.

Commonwealth Utilities Commission and 19 Employees Sue USCIS

2016-01-04T17:25:00.000-05:00

January 4, 2016

The Commonwealth Utilities Commission and 19 nonresident workers have sued Jeh Charles Johnson Secretary of Homeland Security, Sarah Saldana, Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Leon Rodriquez, Director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.

The ten-page complaint states that 33 essential CUC employees are skilled nonresident workers with CW-1 permits. Nineteen of those employees had permits that expired on December 31, 2015. CUC filed renewal applications for all of them in a timely manner. However, USCIS failed to act on the applications. By law the nonresident workers cannot continue to work after the expiration of their CW permits.

The defendants call for the USCIS to enforce the U.S. Administrative Procedures Act and compel the agency to act on the workers' CW petitions.

CUC attorney James Sirok is also asking the District Court to grant a declaratory ruling that would allow the defendants to work while a decision is being made on their applications for CW permit renewal.

The lawsuit also asks the court to "grant such other and further relief as this Court deems equitable, just, and proper."

USCIS should be held accountable. The federal agency should have to pay any wages that the employees lost due to the federal agency's failure to process the CW renewals. Businesses, employees and their families should not have to suffer because USCIS employees did not act on petitions that were filed within the specified time period.

The complaint also clarifies the importance of maintaining CUC's skilled workforce:

In order for the Utility to operate and provide utility services to the CNMI and its populace, it hires employees to perform various essential functions and duties which in turn results in the generation and distribution of power and water throughout the islands of Saipan Tinian and Rota and the movement and elimination of wastewater and sewer elements on these islands.

No business should have to cease operating because a regulating agency is slow to act. When a shut down impacts a territory's entire population, it is especially inexcusable. All nonresident employees extending their CW permits should be able to work until a decision to deny or approve the renewal is made.

Governor Ralph Torres has also informed President Obama of the economic damage caused by the delay in processing the CNMI's CW permits.

The USCIS has been not given the proper attention to the CNMI-Only Transitional Worker Program. Instead of sending CW renewal applications to California to be processed as has been the practice, they should be processed in the CNMI so employers and employees can better monitor the status of their permits. A fully staffed USCIS Office should be set up immediately to address the critical needs of both nonresident workers and their employers and to prevent further economic loss to all parties.

Businesses Waiting for USCIS To Approve Timely CW Applications

2016-01-04T07:34:00.000-05:00

January 2, 2016

The incompetence of USCIS in processing CW permits has impacted some businesses and about 800 nonresident workers in the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI).

The Saipan Tribune reported that Truong's, Saipan's only Vietnamese restaurant was forced to close because of CW renewals were not processed. Other affected businesses include Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Hut and the Maraina Resort and Spa.

The businesses met required deadlines to submit renewals for the nonresidents employees, yet permits that were set to expire on December 31, 2015 were not processed by USCIS by the deadline. By law, any nonresident worker whose permit is not renewed must stop working by the expiration date.

The idea that a person waiting for a CW permit to be renewed should stop working until the permit is in hand is unreasonable. This bureaucratic system does not consider that the businesses need the workers to stay open to make a profit and the workers need their jobs to survive. Has the USCIS considered that people will go without food and be put in positions where they could lose their homes because the bureaucratic agency could not process their papers in a timely manner?

Any system where people are regarded as faceless labor units is not a humane one. The system needs to be reformed. A grace period allowing CW workers to continue working for a specified period of time after the official expiration date of the permit would be one humane solution. Establishing a fully staffed USCIS Office on Saipan and processing permits there may be another solution.

The Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands requested assistance from Representative Kilili Sablan regarding the non-processing of the permits.

2015-12-22T14:07:00.002-05:00

Today is International Migrants Day!

2015-12-18T10:40:00.002-05:00

December 18, 2015

"On International Migrants Day, let us commit to coherent, comprehensive and human-rights based responses guided by international law and standards and a shared resolve to leave no one behind."
Ban Ki-moon Message for International Migrants Day

Thinking of all the amazing workers in the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and sending my best wishes to you all.

18 December 2015Secretary-General’s Message for 2015

2015 will be remembered as a year of human suffering and migrant tragedies. Over the past 12 months, more than 5,000 women, men and children lost their lives in search of protection and a better life. Tens of thousands more have been exploited and abused by human traffickers. And millions have been made into scapegoats and become the targets of xenophobic policies and alarmist rhetoric.

But 2015 was also a year in which the global community underscored the important contribution of migrants to sustainable development. With the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, world leaders vowed to protect the labour rights of migrant workers, combat transnational criminal human trafficking networks, and promote well-regulated migration and mobility. By addressing root causes, the 2030 Agenda also seeks to tackle the development, governance and human rights challenges that are driving people to flee their homes in the first place.

The world urgently needs to build upon these efforts with a new global compact on human mobility based on better cooperation among countries of origin, transit and destination, with enhanced responsibility sharing, and full respect of the human rights of migrants, regardless of their status.

We must expand safe channels for regular migration, including for family reunification, labour mobility at all skill levels, greater resettlement opportunities, and education opportunities for children and adults. I also urge all countries to sign and ratify the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families; only one-fourth of UN Member States have done so.

These principles and ideas will be part of the implementation of the roadmap to address the large movements of migrants and refugees that I have presented to the General Assembly.

On International Migrants Day, let us commit to coherent, comprehensive and human-rights based responses guided by international law and standards and a shared resolve to leave no one behind.

Discussions on Phase Out of CW Workers

2015-10-24T20:24:00.004-04:00

October 23, 2015

In recent weeks Federal and CNMI officials have been issuing statements concerning the CW Program, which is scheduled to be phased out in three years.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services lowered the cap for fiscal year 2016 to 12,999, which is 1,000 fewer than the 2015 limit of 13,999. The CW Program started out in 2009 with a cap of 22,417, the number of workers that had been permitted by the CNMI prior to the extension of U.S. immigration law.

As 2019 approaches there is more talk of how the CNMI desperately needs to continue a 'special for us' foreign worker program to maintain a stable economy. The talk appears to center on repeating past mistakes. The solution most often spoken of is to pass legislation that would allow the CNMI to continue to cycle foreign workers in and out of the CNMI like dehumanized labor units.

If the Consolidated Natural Resources Act, P.L. 110-229, had been followed as intended there would be no need for this discussion. The stable workforce that the CNMI is forever seeking would have long been in place.

The CNRA passed in 2008, mandated that the Department of Interior prepare a report for Congress with a recommendation on the status of the CNMI's nonresidents. The 2010 DOI report stated:

"Consistent with the goals of comprehensive immigration reform, we recommend that the Congress consider permitting alien workers who have lawfully resided in the CNMI for a minimum period of five years to apply for long-term status under the immigration and nationality laws of the United States."

Had the Department of Interior, CNMI and Federal leaders acted in 2010 on that recommendation and pushed for legislation that would have granted the legal, long-term nonresidents a pathway to citizenship, this problem of a stable workforce would have been solved. A skilled and dedicated workforce would be in place today. Instead we hear the same phrases taken from the decades-long conversation of how to continue a program where foreign workers are regarded as replaceable, disposal labor units rather than as valued future citizens.

Governor Eloy Inos has called for 902 talks to discuss the deadline for the end of the CW Program, which will zero out foreign workers. From the Marianas Variety:

In his Oct. 2 letter to Obama, Inos expressed concern about the expiration in Dec. 2019 of the federal CW program that allows the islands to hire nonresident workers without going through the more expensive and restrictive H-visa process.

Has the governor considered that if all of the legal longtime foreign workers were granted green cards the cost to hire workers would be zero?

Esther Kia’aina, the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas met with the governor earlier this month. She stated:

“DC is a lonely world,” Kia’aina said. “We cannot be your only advocates. …It’s critically important for the White House and other federal agencies to know the people and what the government of the Marianas is facing at this time.”

“It is the transition to a tourism-driven economy, and the potential of proposed federal activities that have been of grave concern to the people. And it also includes the looming deadline of 2019—an absolute deadline. “Prior to last November, it was not absolute. You have an absolute deadline come Dec. 31 in 2019; the CW workers will be zeroed out. That should be, I think, on top of the mind for everybody.”

Why isn't Kia'aina pushing for a stable workforce; for green cards for the legal, long-term foreign workers who have been valuable, upstanding community members for decades? The Department of Insular Affairs may benefit by looking at the whole picture and listening to the voices of all of the people who have called the CNMI home over the last few turbulent decades.

The Saipan Tribune quoted Delegate Gregorio Sablan's press release:

Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-Saipan), in a statement yesterday, said that lowering the CW cap is a “call for more U.S. workers,” noting that this means “employers must continue to find more ways to hire U.S. workers, if growth is to continue.

Since 2009 when the CW Program was initiated almost half of the private work force made up of the foreign workers who lived and worked in the CNMI for decades have left for greener pastures or returned to their homelands. The stress of the visa renewal process, the uncertainty of job security, and the unlikely chance that they will ever get improved status has driven many foreign workers from the CNMI. Some of the luckier ones I keep in touch with have landed secure jobs in Canada, New Zealand and the U.S. mainland -all with a pathway to citizenship.

It is amazing that federal officials, leaders and policy makers continue to support the CNMI's mantra, "Poor us, we need help to keep a workforce made up of disenfranchised, foreign workers" when the solution is obvious. Give the legal, long-term foreign workers who make up the vast majority of the private workforce a pathway to citizenship.

Pope Francis To Congress: Accept Immigrants As Your Own

2015-09-24T15:25:00.001-04:00

September 24, 2015

Pope Francis spoke to the U.S. Congress today asking them to welcome foreigners and immigrants. He said, "Most of us were once foreigners." There were cheers from the chambers.

His words must ring hollow on the ears of the mostly do-nothing members who have deliberately stalled any action on much needed immigration reform. Even Catholic members of Congress have made excuses for not passing legislation that would allow undocumented immigrants to come out of the shadows and the legal, long term immigrants in the CNMI to finally be granted green cards.

From the transcript:

I think of the march which Martin Luther King led from Selma to Montgomery fifty years ago as part of the campaign to fulfill his “dream” of full civil and political rights for African Americans. That dream continues to inspire us all. I am happy that America continues to be, for many, a land of “dreams”. Dreams which lead to action, to participation, to commitment. Dreams which awaken what is deepest and truest in the life of a people. In recent centuries, millions of people came to this land to pursue their dream of building a future in freedom.

We, the people of this continent, are not fearful of foreigners, because most of us were once foreigners. I say this to you as the son of immigrants, knowing that so many of you are also descended from immigrants. Tragically, the rights of those who were here long before us were not always respected. For those peoples and their nations, from the heart of American democracy, I wish to reaffirm my highest esteem and appreciation. Those first contacts were often turbulent and violent, but it is difficult to judge the past by the criteria of the present.

Nonetheless, when the stranger in our midst appeals to us, we must not repeat the sins and the errors of the past. We must resolve now to live as nobly and as justly as possible, as we educate new generations not to turn their back on our “neighbors” and everything around us. Building a nation calls us to recognize that we must constantly relate to others, rejecting a mindset of hostility in order to adopt one of reciprocal subsidiarity, in a constant effort to do our best. I am confident that we can do this.

Our world is facing a refugee crisis of a magnitude not seen since the Second World War. This presents us with great challenges and many hard decisions. On this continent, too, thousands of persons are led to travel north in search of a better life for themselves and for their loved ones, in search of greater opportunities. Is this not what we want for our own children? We must not be taken aback by their numbers, but rather view them as persons, seeing their faces and listening to their stories, trying to respond as best we can to their situation. To respond in a way which is always humane, just and fraternal. We need to avoid a common temptation nowadays: to discard whatever proves troublesome. Let us remember the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Mt 7:12).

Ashamed To Be An American: Another Katrina Disaster Failure

2015-09-08T05:22:00.000-04:00

September 8, 2015

Stories of typhoon aid being denied to Filipino and other foreign workers in the CNMI are heartbreaking. Typically the CW workers have the worst housing in the CNMI. Houses constructed of wood and tin, some with dirt floors, converted shipping containers and apartments with slanted floors and unstable stairways.

If the U.S. can provide visas to foreigners to work in the CNMI then shouldn't they provide aid to them in a disaster? Take the CW workers out of the CNMI and the economy and tourist industries collapse. It is about time these people were recognized as long-term de facto citizens and given green cards. But right now these people who make up 90% of the private sector they need assistance.

The Marianas Variety covered a story about foreign worker Rolando Magdaraog who sought help from FEMA and was denied. The 52-year-old man has been in the CNMI sixteen years and now sleeps in his car:

“We work hard, we follow the law and we pay taxes. But there was a typhoon and we are also victims of it. I know that the U.S. and the CNMI are generous to those who need help so I’m still hoping for humanitarian consideration. “If not, what can I do? I guess nothing. I just have to work harder and start all over again.”

There is absolutely no reason that anyone who loses their house in a storm is sleeping in a car. The reporters covering these stories should publicize the names of the landlords who are not making repairs to destroyed homes.

So where is the help for these people who built the CNMI, who keep the economy thriving? I will be making calls to the U.S. Senate and U.S. House today to see what aid can be given to the foreigners. I am ashamed of the way our country is handling this disaster.

Labor Day -Celebrating the Fight for Economic Justice and Workers' Rights

2015-09-07T05:46:00.000-04:00

September 7, 2015

To many, Labor Day across the U.S. is less of a celebration this year. It is more of a mourning for what should be.

The state of U.S. workers has deteriorated, as the middle class is struggling to stay afloat in a sea of corporate greed, unfair working conditions and wages that are not even close to being a living wage.

The only hope I see for the future of American workers is our unions. I am proud to be a union member. This Labor Day and this year I am standing with my union to fight for workers' rights, economic justice and immigration reform.

Unions role in securing fair wages cannot be disputed. Workers across our country enjoy many benefits and rights because of the hard work of the unions.

I take issue with self-serving politicians who attempt to silence workers by silencing unions. Politicians like Chris Christie who said that he'd like "to punch the teacher's union in the face." Like Donald Trump who is engaged in union busting at his Las Vegas hotel. Like anti-union Governor Scott Walker. Like Bobby Jindal, Jeb Bush, Carly Fiorina, and John Kasich. We must silence them at the polls to ensure economic justice, sick and family leave, fair working conditions and a secure retirement for every person who works on U.S. soil.

CNMI Governor Eloy Inos Asks For Help for Foreign Workers

2015-09-04T06:36:00.001-04:00

September 3, 2015

Kudos to Governor Eloy Inos for recognizing the need of the foreign workers who suffered losses in Saipan as a result of Typhoon Soudelor. He has asked CNMI Delegate Gregorio (Kilili) Sablan to request that the United Stated Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reconsider the status of the CW (foreign) workers so that they can be eligible for FEMA assistance.

In his letter to Delegate Sablan he stated:

“I thank you for your work diligence, cooperation, during this difficult time for our people. We have made much progress and with your assistance and counsel I believe we have developed an environment of cooperation between local, regional and federal partners”

“In this spirit of partnership I want to convey to you some areas of need during this recovery stage. First, I know you are keenly aware of the ongoing situation of CW visa holders being ineligible for FEMA individual assistance funding. I am genuinely concerned over the lack of assistance being provided by our federal partners to the many families who are being denied the need they help solely because of their immigration status."

“While not widely known to much of the FEMA or USCIS policy makers, the CW program is an important part of our community and CW visa holders were not spared the damaging effects of Typhoon Soudelor. I formally request your assistance in reaching out to USCIS to authorize CW visa holders in the CNMI to receive the help they need to rebuild their lives.

It is encouraging that Governor Inos recognizes that the CWs and their families are an important part of the island community.

It will be interesting to see Sablan's response, and better yet what action he takes for the legal, long-term foreign workers and their families who are de facto citizens.

What could he do? He could introduce an emergency bill that would grant green cards and a pathway to citizenship to every legal, longterm foreign worker who has lived and worked in the CNMI for 5 or more year.

Over and over for two decades, members of the House and Senate and their staffers have told me that when it comes to insular affairs the committees go along with the recommendations of their nonvoting delegates. Let's see if he has the courage to do what is right.

Tinian Dynasty Closing

2015-09-04T06:18:00.001-04:00

September 3, 2015

The Tinian Dynasty has announced once again that it is closing. Previous announcements were made in March 2014, December 2014, and again last month. CNMI politicians have expressed concern about the CNMI's economy and the loss of 43 government jobs that are funded by revenue from the casino and hotel's operations.

No real mention or press coverage about the hundreds of foreign workers who are impacted. Many are still waiting to be paid back pay that they are owed.

Perhaps this is another strategical move by Hong Kong Entertainment to avoid paying penalties imposed by the U.S., or to avoid paying what is owed to cheated workers? It was mentioned that still another company, Tinian Entertainment Co. is waiting in the queue to take over the hotel and casino.

What role does the Tinian Casino Gaming Control Commission play in this latest episode in the Tinian Dynasty series?

Many CW Workers Not Eligible For FEMA

2015-09-02T17:05:00.000-04:00

September 2, 2015

It is amazing that the United States Government can send millions in aid to the Philippines, Haiti, Thailand and other foreign governments to help foreign residents suffering from natural disasters, but cannot provide FEMA assistance to the LEGAL, LONGTERM foreign workers of the CNMI unless they have a U.S. citizen child.

FEMA officials referred the de facto citizens to private aid organizations.

If FEMA cannot help every foreign worker who makes up the majority of the private sector workforce, what United States agency will?

From the Marianas Variety:

“If they apply under the [U.S. citizen] child’s name, and Social Security number, they are covered. That child can be used as the head of household,” DeBlasio Sr. added.

According to FEMA, it had confirmed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that CW workers “are not qualified aliens.” But if the CW worker has a minor child born in the CNMI, then their household is eligible for FEMA assistance.

Citizens of FSM, Palau, and the Marshalls are also not eligible as they are neither U.S. citizens nor permanent residents. However, if they have children born in the CNMI, and therefore are U.S. citizens, then their household becomes eligible for FEMA assistance.

“Not everyone who is living in CNMI and who was affected by the disaster will be eligible for FEMA assistance because there are laws that require FEMA’s compliance,” FEMA external affairs officer Veronica Verde said.

She said FEMA is guided by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act of 1988 or Stafford Act and the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. She said a person’s eligibility for FEMA assistance is contingent upon a number of factors “including, quite importantly, the applicant’s immigration status.”

Should we assume that FEMA officials, Stephen DeBlasio Sr. and Veronica Verede have contacted agencies within the U.S. to inform them that foreigners make up the majority of the CNMI's population and some other U.S. funding is needed for them?

CNMI Nonresidents May Seek Status Change Due to Typhoon Soudelor

2015-08-07T21:47:00.001-04:00

August 7, 2015

USCIS Saipan office to reopen Monday with limited services
SAIPAN, CNMI — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that the agency’s Application Support Center (ASC), located in the TSL Plaza Building, Beach South Road, Garapan, Saipan, will reopen on Monday, August 10, 2015.

ASC staffing will be reduced and services will be limited to scheduled biometric (fingerprint) appointments, scheduled InfoPass appointments, and emergency travel requests only. For all other purposes, appointments must be scheduled online via InfoPass by visiting www.USCIS.gov.

Those who had scheduled biometrics appointments during the week of August 3 through August 7, 2015, may come to the office on or after Monday, August 10, 2015, without an appointment.

Applicants who had been scheduled for interviews during the dates of August 3 through August 31, 2015, will receive a mailed cancelation notice and a rescheduled interview notice when normal operations resume.

Temporary Immigration Relief Measures Available for Individuals Affected by Typhoon Soudelor

On August 2, 2015, Typhoon Soudelor caused extensive damage in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). USCIS reminds customers affected by Typhoon Soudelor that certain U.S. immigration benefits or relief may be available to them.

USCIS understands that a natural disaster can affect an individual’s ability to maintain lawful immigration status or obtain certain other immigration benefits.

Eligible individuals may request or apply for temporary relief measures, including:

A change or extension of nonimmigrant status for an individual currently in the United States, even when the request is filed after the authorized period of admission has expired;
Extension or re-parole of individuals previously granted parole by USCIS;
Expedited adjudication of employment authorization applications;
and Assistance to Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR) stranded overseas without immigration or travel documents, such as a Permanent Resident Card (Green Card). USCIS and the Department of State will coordinate on these matters when LPRs are stranded in a place that does not have a local USCIS office.

USCIS may also exercise its discretion to allow for filing delays resulting from the typhoon.

This may include, for example:

Assistance to those who have not appeared for an interview or submitted required forms of evidence. You may show how the typhoon prevented you from appearing or submitting documents as required; or
Assistance to those who have not been able to respond to a request for evidence (RFE) or notice of intent to deny (NOID). USCIS will extend the deadline for individuals to respond to RFEs or NOIDs by 30 days. This will apply to all RFEs and NOIDs with a deadline of August 2 through September 2, 2015. During this time, USCIS will not issue denials based on abandonment of an application or petition in the CNMI.

USCIS will continue to monitor the situation and will provide updated guidance as needed.

To learn how to request relief or more about how USCIS assists customers affected by unforeseen circumstances in their home country, visit uscis.gov/humanitarian/special-situations or call the National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283 (TDD for the hearing impaired: 1-800-767-1833).

Please check back at uscis.gov for any additional information that may come later and follow us on Facebook ( /uscis ), Twitter ( @uscis ), YouTube ( /uscis ), and the USCIS blog The Beacon.

Please donate to the Red Cross and earmark your donation for Typhoon Soudelor victims.

Saipan Residents Take Lead On Recovery

2015-08-07T06:57:00.000-04:00

August 7, 2015

Video by Sveta Hunter Saipan residents need water and help!

Anyone following the news on the devastation of Typhoon Soudelor is astounded by the snail-like pace and lack of leadership of government officials.

Residents Glen Hunter, his wife Sveta and other residents have organized relief efforts in absence of government assistance and leadership. Those include getting water for the people who have been without running water for 6 days.

Sveta Hunter's video footage of the typhoon (embedded on a post below) has been broadcast by AP and U.S. news outlets. This is sure to get the U.S. citizens involved in donating money and supplies. These residents are heroes!

Please donate to the Red Cross and earmark your donation for Typhoon Soudelor victims.

USCIS Saipan Office Closed Until Further Notice

2015-08-06T05:42:00.000-04:00

NEWS RELEASE
August 5, 2015

USCIS Saipan office closed

SAIPAN, CNMI — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that the agency’s Application Support Center (ASC), located in the TSL Plaza Building, Beach South Road, Garapan, Saipan, will be closed until further notice as a result of Typhoon Soudelor.

Customers who had scheduled interviews should not report to the USCIS ASC office for their appointment. Instead, they will receive notification of their rescheduled interview date and time in the mail. Those who had InfoPass appointments should reschedule their appointments online at www.USCIS.gov, though it may be some time before appointments are available.

USCIS customers can check the opening status of the Saipan USCIS Application Support Center by visiting the Office Closings page (http://www.uscis.gov/about-us/uscis-office-closings) of the USCIS website, or by calling the USCIS National Customer Service Center ( 1-800-375-5283).

Contact (media only): Tim Counts, USCIS Public Affairs Officer Office:

952-853-2827; cell: 952-232-7971;

email Tim.Counts@dhs.gov

– USCIS –

Typhoon Leaves Hundreds Homeless In Saipan -Updated

2015-08-05T23:05:00.001-04:00

August 5, 2015

Video of Saipan Typhoon Soudelor Damage from YouTube by Sveta Hunter

The U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) was left in a state of devastation by Typhoon Soudelor that passed directly over the island of Saipan. After four days people are still without water power and adequate fuel. The Guam National Guard, the Guam Power Authority, Navy Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 25 and the Coast Guard are reportedly providing assistance. FEMA was still waiting for the official CNMI Government request for emergency help before it could start distributing food, water and supplies.

Typhoon Soudelor left hundreds of people homeless or living in damaged homes on Saipan and in Tinian. On Saipan about 500 individuals are living in schools and the Kagman Community Center, which are serving as shelters. The American Red Cross is providing meals and emergency needs. The Salvation Army was also serving food at Hopwood Jr. High.

It was also reported that people with damaged houses are sleeping in cars and make-shift shelters.

A CUC press release states, "No timetable exists for the complete restoration of essential services in Saipan; however, customers should prepare for an extended power and water outage." The power plant was damaged and many power poles are downed. Trees blocking roadways make it more difficult to restore power. The island's only hospital is operating with generators.

Water stations have been set up on Saipan at Capitol Hill, Agag Reservoir and Kanat Tabla. There is a 100 gallon limit per household per day. This is water for showers, toilets and to be boiled to wash dishes. It is not for consumption. Bleach should be added to the water for purification.

Gas lines continue to be long and gas and diesel fuel is being rationed at some stations. Fuel spills at the port of Saipan and shipping containers that were tossed about by waves still need to be cleaned up.

Damage at the Port of Saipan – U.S. Coast Guard photo.

Some daytime flights have been restored. There are no nighttime flights. Flights from some Chinese tourist cities have been suspended until August 15th. There has been little news on the status of the tourists on the island.

My heart goes out to all of the people of Saipan and Tinian who were impacted by the typhoon. It is especially difficult for the nonresident workers who do not have family members in the CNMI to take them in or offer assistance. Nonresidents do not qualify for federal assistance programs such as food stamps, Medicaid or federal welfare programs, so they are especially vulnerable.

Some foreign workers cannot work because their employer's business was damaged or closed so they are also are suffering financial losses. If the business cannot reopen, the nonresident worker could also lose his/her immigration status.

Where is the news on the status of the situation on Tinian?
______________________
Hawaiians are collecting donations to the Hawaiian Salvation Army to open a soup kitchen in Saipan. Donations can be made to the Red Cross and earmarked for Typhoon Soudelor victims.
______________________
August 6, 2015

President Obama finally declared the CNMI a major disaster.
Victims can apply for disater assistance at WWW.DISASTERASSISTANCE.GOV OR APPLY THROUGH THE APP AT W.FEMA.GOV OR CALL A 24/7 TOLL FREE NUMBER 1-800-621-3362.

The U.S.S. Ashland filled with water, food, generators and supplies is set to arrive Friday from Guam. The marines on the ship will be helping with recovery.

The Multi-Purpose Center is serving as recovery center. If you have no transportation please call 644-COTA.

You can follow updates on the homepage of U.S. Congressman Gregorio (Kilili) Sablan (CNMI-D) and on the Department of Energy website.

Saipan and Tinian Hit By Typhoon Soudelor - Updated

2015-08-03T06:16:00.000-04:00

August 3, 2015

Saipan and Tinian suffered extensive damage from Typhoon Soudelor that passed over the islands late Sunday evening with reported maximum sustained winds of 120 miles per hour. Residents reported winds were closer to Category 4 wind strengths. Some complained that they were not prepared for a storm of this strength.

Soudelor is expected to become a super typhoon before it moves towards Japan's southwestern islands late this week. Soudelor is a Pohnpeian word meaning "chief" or "ruler."

Acting Governor Ralph Torres declared the islands in a "state of major disaster and significant emergency." FEMA sent an advance team and they are assessing the damage. It is likely that a federal state of disaster will be declared. Residents are urged to take photos of damage before they begin to clean-up.

On Saipan the main power plant was flooded and part of the roof was torn off. There is no power on the island. Over 100 power poles were downed. Water is also unavailable as electricity is needed for pumps.

The Coast Guard reported that flying debris broke a 120,000 gallon fuel storage tank and thousands of gallons of gasoline poured into a containment area. Another spill resulted in 500 gallons of diesel fuel spilling into the port of Saipan. Two large fishing ships and a charter boat came loose from their moorings and ran aground in Tanapag.

The seaport and airport are shut down. Residents are urged to stay off the roads.

Some roads are impassable, blocked by downed trees. Roofs were torn from buildings and cars were flipped upside down. At least 60 people received treatment at the hospital for minor injuries. According to news reports about 400 people are in shelters after losing their houses from the storm. Some people waited over 3 hours for fuel for generators at gas stations.

A friend from Tinian said in an email that the typhoon caused extensive damage with trees downed and damage to buildings. There is no power and water on the island.

Guam's Lt. Governor is organizing two boot drives to assist typhoon victims. Donations can be made to the Red Cross and earmarked for Typhoon Soudelor victims.

More stories and photos of damage:
Huffington Post
ABC
Washington Post
Stuff.co.nz
KUAM
KATU.com