Senators in the Northern Marianas have approved a resolution calling on the U.S. Senate to postpone action on the CNMI immigration bill until a potential impact study is completed.
The resolution also requests the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources grant local officials additional opportunity to work with the committee on outstanding concerns about the bill.
The legislation is awaiting action in the U.S. Senate.
Local lawmakers say the proposed federal immigration system would have far less flexibility to support its continuing need for foreign workers.
The bill would extend Federal immigration law to the Northern Marianas and create a federally-run guest-worker programme in CNMI.
