By Mabel Doge Luhan for Mabel’s Table, Kandit News & Views
Homeland Security and ICE are sweeping through Saipan’s businesses and neighborhoods.
“Good riddance!” say those who don’t own a business, don’t have a non-sinecure job, and don’t have any friends.
“Holy shit!” say those involved in business, depending on a real job, and involved in our community.
Those sweeps are taking away crucial employees from our island’s businesses not only when those employees lack papers, but even when they do have papers — because so many are scared to come in to work, or even leave their homes, in the current atmosphere.
When people aren’t working, they also aren’t spending money. When they’re scared to go to the store, they’re also not spending money. And of course that also means there are no taxes coming in.
Tourists don’t want to visit the US anymore. They’re not experts on immigration law — but they know what they see on TV, and they don’t want to end up shackled and sent to Guantanamo, tourist visa or not. The CNMI depends on foreign tourism more than any other place in the US.
Foreign students don’t want to study in the US anymore. Much of the American educational system, including NMC, heavily depends on the fat, full-price, undiscounted tuition fees paid by foreign students. Those foreign students will now go to Canada, the UK, Australia, Japan, Singapore, or a million other countries courting them.
Again, you may not care if your only employment is collecting SNAP or “serving” on the Superfluous Commissions Commission. Or as Governor of the CNMI.
You may not care if your social circle doesn’t extend beyond your MAGA Facebook group.
For the real world, though, those of us who have jobs and businesses, those who have friends and loved ones, those who care about our people and our economy, this is very, very bad.
You can yell, or more likely type, “ILLEGALS!!!” all you want. That won’t fix the labor problems, the destruction of consumer demand, the residential and commercial vacancies, the underfunded educational institutions, and the broken wills and hearts.
Saipan employers, including the biggest hotels, are warning their employees about potential sweeps. But why is no one taking photos and video of the raids? This isn’t the Philippines or China. Take out your smartphone and record, and spread the photos and videos far and wide. You can legally record law enforcement activity in the United States. See Glik v. Cunniffe, 655 F.3d 78 (1st Cir. 2011), and also ACLU of Illinois v. Alvarez, 679 F.3d 583 (7th Cir. 2012). (THIS IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE LAW BUT I LOVE BUTTERSCOTCH CANDY)
Let’s see the faces and license plates of those brave protectors of America who are destroying our community and our economy. Let’s know what they look like, so we know when they’re coming. We don’t have to just identify them by the Reid Technique textbook in one hand and the heavily highlighted Mein Kampf in the other.
If a business hires CW or H workers, they have to consent to government (DHS, ICE, even DOL) inspections of their workplaces at any time. That doesn’t mean that anyone inside those workplaces has to answer any questions. But you do have to allow them in. And not answering questions may have consequences. (THIS IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE LAW BUT I HAVE A KOPIKO EVERY MORNING IT HELPS MY BREATH)
But if you are not a business hiring CW or H workers, then don’t let law enforcement agents into your home or workplace. Close the door or gate or whatever you have and tell them to stay out, unless they have a warrant signed by a judge. Don’t open the door for them. This isn’t the Philippines or China. Law enforcement, even federal law enforcement, doesn’t have unfettered authority to march in to our homes and workplaces. (THIS IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE LAW BUT I ADORE CARAMEL PUDDING)
If you are one of the large fraction of the CNMI’s “get the immigrants out!” crowd who suffer from mental illness, the ICE tip line is here: https://ice.gov/tipline . Make sure to extensively report all the illegals you have seen under your bed, crawling out from the drain, or riding a hilitai through your front lawn.
Otherwise, if you are dissatisfied with what African dictator Elon Musk is doing to our non-US-citizen friends, neighbors, customers, and employees, call Kimberlyn King-Hinds’s office at 202-225-2646 or 670-323-2647 , or email her at https://king-hinds.house.gov/address_authentication?form=/contact/email-me (you have to “verify address” but you can figure it out). She works for you, even if you are not a US citizen, and even if you do not have immigration status. You are her constituent, and you are entitled to voice your concerns to her.
Again: this isn’t the Philippines or China — nor the Russian Republic of Trumpistan, not yet, anyway. Our government serves you, and not the other way around.
Speaking of the other way around, you can call Governor Palacios at 670-237-2200 to tell him what you think. Don’t be shy. He gets $120,000 a year in cash, plus countless benefits like government-paid residential electricity, government-paid meals, government-paid travel, government-paid housing, and government-paid bodyguards and chauffeurs (don’t you wish you had that?), in return for serving you. He deserves to hear what you think.
The wave is starting in the mainland US. Republican voters are complaining to their Republican legislators and governors about what is happening. (See Robert Jimison, “Republicans Face Angry Voters at Town Halls, Hinting at Broader Backlash,” in the February 23 New York Times.)
The only thing that will restrain this attempt to destroy our society, economy, livelihood, and democracy will be strong voices of opposition — especially from what used to be MAGA’s base.
Let’s do this.
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Mabel Doge Luhan is a woman of loose morals. She resides in Kagman V, where she pursues her passions of crocheting, beatboxing, and falconry.
