No room for US negotiation: CNMI Governor
Updated
![The CNMI's immigration system will be subject to direct rule from Washington under a new law. [ABC]](http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/img/news/base/cnmi_saipan_abc_06.jpg?<BR> "The CNMI's immigration system will be subject to direct rule from Washington under a new law. [ABC]")
The CNMI's immigration system will be subject to direct rule from Washington under a new law. [ABC]
The governor of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas in the Pacific says there's no room for negotiation with the US on the law that would put the islands' immigration system under Washington's control.
Our reporter in the CNMI, Gemma Casas, reports Governor Benigno Fitial says all attempts to negotiate with the United States on the federalisation law have failed.
He's asking the legislature to allocate $US50,000 in public funds every month to pay the Washington-based law firm of Jenner & Block.
The firm will try to secure a preliminary injunction to prevent the federalisation law from being implemented next year.
The US Congress says although the Northern Marianas has the right to self-government, Congress can apply American immigration law to the islands for security reasons.
The new law also mandates the US to take control of the islands' borders.
The Northern Marianas is located next to Guam, a US territory that is home to one of America's largest aerial and naval bases in the Asia-Pacific Region.
