Northern Marianas sues Washington to block immigration law
Agence France-Presse | 09/15/2008 3:46 PM
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SAIPAN - The Northern Marianas government is suing the United States to prevent Washington taking over the islands’ immigration system, Governor Benigno Fitial said Monday.
A 29-page complaint was filed Friday in the US District Court for the district of Columbia, seeking a permanent injunction stopping the US imposing its federalisation law on the US-administered Pacific island territory.
The Northern Marianas fears the law will impact on its high proportion of imported labour, and claims it also violates its right to self-government.
Fitial said in a statement the issue required a legal ruling rather than a negotiated settlement.
"We need to know whether the US Congress can legislate in an area reserved for local self-government by our Covenant," he said.
"The only way to get an answer to this legal question is to turn to the court. I could not wait any longer."
The population of the Northern Marianas is 60,000, of which 30,000 are US citizens, 6,000 are citizens of freely associated states and the rest documented foreign workers.
Fitial said if the law is imposed, foreigners legally admitted by the Northern Marianas government could be removed by the US Department of Homeland Security as "illegal entrants and immigration violators."
He accused Washington of trying to overturn the Northern Marianas labour laws and reduce the number of foreign workers.
"Whether they have the power to do so is a question of law," he said.
"Our Covenant is a legal document. We are the only US territory to have such a legal document granting the right of local self-government.
"Now there is a question about what the right of local self government means, so we are asking the court to resolve this question."
