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<home> -- <press releases> News from Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo Congresswoman Bordallo Meets with DHS on P.L. 110-229 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – November 17, 2009 – Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo today was briefed by officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on the implementation of Public Law 110-229 on the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and Guam. The meeting took place in Congresswoman Bordallo’s office in the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill. The Congresswoman requested the briefing after Secretary Janet Napolitano of DHS announced her use of parole authority to allow visitors of China and Russia to continue visiting the CNMI. “During the meeting, we discussed the implementation of the new joint Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver program, and how the parole authority will be exercised by Secretary Napolitano for Chinese and Russian visitors to the CNMI,” Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo said today. “The DHS officials stated that the parole authority process will mirror the process currently in place for visitors arriving from countries under the current national visa waiver program. I remain confident that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will be ready to fully implement the federalization of immigration in the CNMI on November 28, 2009. In addition, the new Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program, which will allow visitors to visit for 45 days, will have a positive long term effect in the visitor industry. I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress and DHS to ensure that this law is fully implemented according to the intent of Congress.” # # #
matthew.mateo@mail.house.gov or derek.mandell@mail.house.gov |
