US officials to review list of nonresidents with criminal records
Thursday, 03 December 2009 00:00 By Andrew O. De Guzman - Reporter
The definition of “criminal felony” or “criminal misdemeanor” may differ under the U.S. Immigration Saipan Immigration Court Chief Judge Thomas Y.K. Fong will hear immigration cases and oversee administrative operations of the newly opened immigration court. Naturalization Act which is now in effect in the Northern Marianas, and this is why the U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement will be working closely with the local Department of Public Safety to look into the list of nonresident criminal offenders for possible removal proceedings.
“We’re now initiating and reviewing the records,” said Clarence M. Wagner Jr., ICE chief counsel based in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Wagner said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will make a determination on the status of an individual, to be followed by charging documents and removal proceedings in immigration court.
Yesterday, Saipan Immigration Court Chief Judge Thomas Y.K. Fong conducted an orientation on his functions.
Wills and Fong were joined by Michael A. Samaniego, U.S. ICE’s assistant field office director for detention and removal operations, during a meeting with the media, representatives of local government agencies and other stakeholders.
Fong said the immigration court will be an administrative control court, receiving filings and establishing appropriate dockets.
He said the court does not initiate proceedings and will not act unless a filing is initiated by the government.
An immigration court hearing will conduct a bond setting, followed by determination of removability “where the government has the burden to prove the [person’s] removability,” Fong said.
Yesterday, he said an individual came to his court and sought asylum.
However, there’s no asylum relief available for the CNMI until Jan. 1, 2015, he added.
Showing posts with label Customs Enforcement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Customs Enforcement. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Feds tighten NMI border security
Feds tighten NMI border security
Thursday, 03 December 2009 00:00 By Gemma Q. Casas - Reporter
THE U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the largest investigative agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, is tightening the border security of the Northern Marianas, particularly on Saipan, now that federal immigration law applies here.
ICE said immigration document and benefit fraud poses a serious threat to national security and public safety because they create vulnerabilities that may enable criminals and even terrorists to enter the U.S.
Wayne Wills, special agent-in-charge of ICE Office of Investigations, Honolulu, Hawaii, said uniformed ICE agents will be roaming Garapan, the center of business activities on Saipan.
His office is responsible for pursuing criminal offenses such as human smuggling and human trafficking, money laundering, narcotics, weapons trafficking, financial crimes, commercial fraud, child exploitation and violations related to intellectual property rights.
Wills said their focus here are human smuggling and human trafficking.
“[Our] agents will be very visible,” Wills said in a press conference on Tuesday at their new office in Puerto Rico.
He said it would be best for foreign nationals to posses their CNMI immigration documents.
“My suggestion would be to carry whatever proper immigration documents that show they are legally admitted to the CNMI,” he added.
Securing the islands’ maritime area with the help of the U.S. Coast Guard is also another focus of his office.
Wills said ICE’s primary mission is to enforce the law. It may be sometimes uncomfortable to the community but the law must be enforced, he added.
Thursday, 03 December 2009 00:00 By Gemma Q. Casas - Reporter
THE U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the largest investigative agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, is tightening the border security of the Northern Marianas, particularly on Saipan, now that federal immigration law applies here.
ICE said immigration document and benefit fraud poses a serious threat to national security and public safety because they create vulnerabilities that may enable criminals and even terrorists to enter the U.S.
Wayne Wills, special agent-in-charge of ICE Office of Investigations, Honolulu, Hawaii, said uniformed ICE agents will be roaming Garapan, the center of business activities on Saipan.
His office is responsible for pursuing criminal offenses such as human smuggling and human trafficking, money laundering, narcotics, weapons trafficking, financial crimes, commercial fraud, child exploitation and violations related to intellectual property rights.
Wills said their focus here are human smuggling and human trafficking.
“[Our] agents will be very visible,” Wills said in a press conference on Tuesday at their new office in Puerto Rico.
He said it would be best for foreign nationals to posses their CNMI immigration documents.
“My suggestion would be to carry whatever proper immigration documents that show they are legally admitted to the CNMI,” he added.
Securing the islands’ maritime area with the help of the U.S. Coast Guard is also another focus of his office.
Wills said ICE’s primary mission is to enforce the law. It may be sometimes uncomfortable to the community but the law must be enforced, he added.
Feds want to be NMI’s partners
Feds want to be NMI’s partners
Thursday, 03 December 2009 00:00 By Andrew O. De Guzman - Reporter
THE head of the Office of Investigation, one of the operational divisions of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, says they want to have a partnership with the CNMI.
“We are here on a mission to partner and communicate with the community,” said Wayne K. Wills, Office of Investigation special agent in charge based on Honolulu, Hawaii.
He is hoping that Gov. Benigno R. Fitial will not make a sweeping generalization regarding the actions of federal agencies.
Last year, the governor, who has sued the U.S. over the federalization law, pulled out local police and customs officers from to the Joint CNMI-U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force, following the intensive body searches conducted by the DEA on passengers of an inaugural Shanghai Airlines flight.
Fitial later claimed that the DEA endangered his life when it did not inform him about the “ice” dealings of his then-driver-bodyguard.
Wills said they are extending the hand of partnership with the local government.
At least two persons were handed over by the CNMI government to ICE on Saturday morning, according to Michael Samaniego, the agency’s assistant field office director of detention and removal operations.
Wills, during Tuesday’s press conference, also said the public should not to be “surprised” when ICE agents are seen on the islands, together with CNMI law enforcement agencies or the U.S. Coast Guard.
Wills underscored the critical part the community will play, stressing that their operational successes will come from “information from the community.”
Wills said arrested individuals who are found to be in violation of U.S. immigration law will be evaluated through a tier-approach in determining their threat to the nation or to the community.
Samaniego, for his part, is hoping for a “happy conclusion” regarding a detention facility, since talks with the local Department of Correction were still “work in progress.”
According to its Web site, ICE is the largest investigative agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Thursday, 03 December 2009 00:00 By Andrew O. De Guzman - Reporter
THE head of the Office of Investigation, one of the operational divisions of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, says they want to have a partnership with the CNMI.
“We are here on a mission to partner and communicate with the community,” said Wayne K. Wills, Office of Investigation special agent in charge based on Honolulu, Hawaii.
He is hoping that Gov. Benigno R. Fitial will not make a sweeping generalization regarding the actions of federal agencies.
Last year, the governor, who has sued the U.S. over the federalization law, pulled out local police and customs officers from to the Joint CNMI-U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force, following the intensive body searches conducted by the DEA on passengers of an inaugural Shanghai Airlines flight.
Fitial later claimed that the DEA endangered his life when it did not inform him about the “ice” dealings of his then-driver-bodyguard.
Wills said they are extending the hand of partnership with the local government.
At least two persons were handed over by the CNMI government to ICE on Saturday morning, according to Michael Samaniego, the agency’s assistant field office director of detention and removal operations.
Wills, during Tuesday’s press conference, also said the public should not to be “surprised” when ICE agents are seen on the islands, together with CNMI law enforcement agencies or the U.S. Coast Guard.
Wills underscored the critical part the community will play, stressing that their operational successes will come from “information from the community.”
Wills said arrested individuals who are found to be in violation of U.S. immigration law will be evaluated through a tier-approach in determining their threat to the nation or to the community.
Samaniego, for his part, is hoping for a “happy conclusion” regarding a detention facility, since talks with the local Department of Correction were still “work in progress.”
According to its Web site, ICE is the largest investigative agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
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