Today, President Bush signed in to law new immigration and labor protections for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

This has been significant to Colorado observers ever since Senate candidate Bob Schaffer inexplicably praised the abusive policies in the CNMI, resulting in an avalanche of criticism and scrutiny over his ties to the territory and convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Here's what Rep. George Miller, a sponsor of the legislation, said in a statement today:

Miller Statement on Signing of Northern Mariana Islands Immigration Reform into Law

WASHINGTON, DC - 5/8/08 - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee who has sought reform of the laws governing the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) for more than 15 years, issued the following statement today on the President's signing into law a bill that will finally bring the CNMI under the federal immigration system governing the rest of the country.

"The problems with the old way of doing business in the Northern Marianas were legion -- for many years, this system and its exploiters did great harm to guestworkers and their families, and the islands' society and economy have been stifled as well. Those who profited from this exploitation depended on the notorious and corrupt lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his many supporters in Congress who blocked reform for over a decade.

"The Abramoff scandal was the poster child for Republican corruption in Washington and was a significant reason for Republicans losing control of the House in the 2006 election, and the Northern Mariana Islands and its sweatshop owners were among Abramoff's most lucrative clients.

"Although it was clear to nearly everyone that the CNMI's system was broken and unfair, it took a Democratic Congress to end this sordid chapter in American history. This new law responds to recommendations from the Bush Administration, the Clinton administration, the INS, the Commission on Immigration Reform, human rights activists, and many others. This law will usher in a new, safer and more just era for the Northern Mariana Islands, and for the men and women who live and work there."

BACKGROUND

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. territory in the western Pacific, was granted a special waiver from federal immigration laws in 1986 when it entered into a covenant with the U.S. Government to govern its population and run its own economy. When the islands became a center for the garment industry in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the loose immigration laws in the CNMI were exploited to bring in thousands of unregulated garment workers under false pretexts and no accountability. Concerns were raised that the loose immigration laws also allowing for narcotics trafficking and other illegal activity. Extensive investigations and reporting has occurred regarding the exploitation of workers and other problems in the CNMI, including:

"Beneath the American Flag: Labor and Human Rights Abuses in the CNMI" -- Report from George Miller and the Democratic Staff of the House Resources Committee (March 26, 1998 Report) (pdf file)

"Economic Miracle or Economic Mirage? The Human Cost of Development in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands" -- Report from George Miller and the Democratic Staff of the House Resources Committee (April 24, 1997 Report) (pdf file)

There have been many efforts to reform the Mariana Islands' immigration and labor policies in the last decade, none of which were brought to the floor of the House under Republican leadership. A partial listing of those earlier bills is available online.

See also:

New media campaign urges voters to tell Bob Schaffer to clean up politics and repent for past wrongs related to Mariana Islands junket
When Dick Wadhams attacks
Ideological roots of the Schaffer/Abramoff scandal
"Colorado Right to Life" blasts Schaffer for ignoring forced abortions in Marianas
Hey! Look over there!
Down the rabbit hole with Bob Schaffer
TPM updates Schaffer/Abramoff
Brief summary: Schaffer/Abramoff so far
Schaffer / Abramoff strategies meshed
Bob Schaffer hides from Abramoff/Marianas questions
Damaging Schaffer/Abramoff disclosures continue
Schaffer/Marianas scandal explodes
Marianas questions dog Bob Schaffer