11 May 2010

CNMI motorcade planned for migrant workers

12:51 pm on 11 May 2010

Thousands of people are expected to take part in a motorcade protest in the Northern Marianas this Sunday to show support for the U.S. Department of Interior's push to improve the immigration status of long-term guest workers.

This comes as the local government plans to adopt a resolution to scrap the federal recommendation which is expected to apply to about 15,000 people.

Representatives of the different nationalities in the territory attended a strategy meeting on Saturday to plan for the motorcade.

A human rights advocate, Wendy Doromal, has asked the local community to embrace the long-term foreign workers and treat them as equals.

"Some of these workers have US citizen children. Some of them have children who are fighting in the Afghan and Iraqi wars. They are outstanding citizens of the community, members of the community and they deserve status. It's long overdue."