SAIPAN — The Saipan Chamber of Commerce is urging Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to carefully consider the economic and community consequences of any changes to CNMI travel programs, arguing that the letter from three U.S. senators relies on outdated references and “materially misleading” claims.
In a letter signed by Chamber President Joe C. Guerrero, the Chamber said the senators’ request risks undermining the CNMI’s economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic and could lead to federal decisions that “would severely harm the Marianas’ fragile economy” as it continues to recover from prolonged contraction.
The Chamber specifically urged federal policymakers to weigh the impacts of any proposal to revoke the Guam–CNMI Visa Waiver Program and its subset, the CNMI Economic Vitality & Security Travel Authorization Program (EVS-TAP). The letter says EVS-TAP was designed during the first Trump Administration as a security-focused enhancement to the visa waiver framework, with issues raised in the senators’ letter having been considered during the program’s formulation in 2019, and that implementation was delayed and ultimately finalized under the Biden Administration in 2024.
The Chamber said EVS-TAP allows “properly vetted” tourism travel to the CNMI for citizens of the People’s Republic of China, and argued that EVS-TAP and the broader visa waiver framework support lawful tourism, small-business sustainability, and employment for U.S. citizens and residents. The letter also links the program to the idea of economic resilience as a component of national security.
On birth tourism, the Chamber acknowledged it was previously a concern in the CNMI but said it is no longer a prevailing issue, citing targeted policy changes, enhanced screening, and coordination with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and other federal agencies. The Chamber said current conditions and data which were not included in the senators’ letter reflect a “markedly different operating environment” than in prior years.
While supporting robust border security and enforcement, the Chamber warned that abrupt termination of the visa waiver framework would cause “severe and immediate economic harm,” and called for stakeholder engagement and reliance on up-to-date, verified information rather than “unverifiable or sensationalized media reports.”
