SAIPAN — CNMI Delegate Kimberlyn King-Hinds is disputing claims cited by three U.S. senators who urged the Department of Homeland Security to revoke the CNMI’s EVS-TAP travel authorization and make other changes to visa waiver programs used by visitors from China and Hong Kong.
In a statement from her office, King-Hinds said she appreciates the senators’ focus on national security and their engagement on issues affecting the CNMI, but said she does not believe changes to the CNMI-Guam Visa Waiver Program or EVS-TAP are warranted “at this time” based on current conditions in the Commonwealth.
King-Hinds specifically pushed back on the assertion that birth tourism is overwhelming the Commonwealth Health Center, saying tourist births have “declined significantly” since reforms implemented during the first Trump administration and that resident and nonresident births in the CNMI now outnumber tourist births by about nine to one. Her office said the Commonwealth Health Center “is not overwhelmed by foreign births.”
Her statement also argued that any assessment of risk should be grounded in current data and local conditions, noting that millions of Chinese nationals travel to the mainland United States each year under existing visa authorities and that foreign births nationwide far exceed those occurring in the CNMI.
King-Hinds emphasized the economic stakes, saying tourism remains the backbone of the CNMI economy and is “on life support.” She said EVS-TAP was developed to provide access to critical visitor markets to support economic stability and government revenues, and warned that abrupt changes to lawful travel programs would carry significant economic consequences that should be weighed alongside security considerations. Her office said the program was designed during the first Trump administration and implemented in 2025.
On security and enforcement, King-Hinds said the CNMI’s borders are fully controlled by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and that EVS-TAP includes a DHS-administered vetting process that screens travelers prior to departure. She said national security decisions should continue to rely on DHS assessments and enforcement expertise.
King-Hinds said she welcomes continued dialogue with Senate and House colleagues, the administration, and Commonwealth leaders, and stressed that any discussion of changes to the CNMI-Guam Visa Waiver Program should meaningfully include the CNMI government, reflect accurate and up-to-date data, and recognize the unique economic and geographic realities of a U.S. territory with limited alternatives to tourism.
Read the full statement below:
Congresswoman King-Hinds appreciates the senators’ focus on national security and their engagement on issues affecting the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Safeguarding the homeland while ensuring the long-term stability of U.S. communities and territories are shared priorities. Based on current data and conditions in the CNMI, the Congresswoman does not believe changes to the CNMI-Guam Visa Waiver Program or the EVS-TAP program are warranted at this time based on claims that birth tourism is overwhelming the Commonwealth Health Center. Births from tourists of all nationalities have declined significantly since reforms implemented during the first Trump administration, and resident and nonresident births in the CNMI today outnumber tourist births by approximately nine to one. The Commonwealth Health Center is not overwhelmed by foreign births.
It is also important to consider the broader national context. Millions of Chinese nationals travel to the mainland United States each year under existing visa authorities, and foreign births nationwide far exceed those occurring in the CNMI. Any assessment of risk should be grounded in current data and an accurate understanding of local conditions.
Tourism remains the backbone of the CNMI economy and is currently on life support. The EVS-TAP program under the CNMI-Guam Visa Waiver Program was developed to provide access to critical visitor markets in order to support economic stability and government revenues. The program was designed during the first Trump administration and implemented in 2025. Abrupt changes to lawful travel programs would have significant economic consequences that should be carefully weighed alongside security considerations.
The Congresswoman also notes that the CNMI’s borders are fully controlled by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and that EVS-TAP includes a Department of Homeland Security–administered vetting process that screens travelers prior to departure. National security decisions should continue to rely on DHS assessments and enforcement expertise.
Congresswoman King-Hinds welcomes continued dialogue with her Senate and House colleagues, the Administration, and Commonwealth leaders to ensure that federal policies both protect national security and reflect the unique economic and geographic realities of the Northern Marianas. Any discussion of changes to the CNMI-Guam Visa Waiver Program must meaningfully include the Commonwealth government, reflect accurate and up-to-date data, and recognize the unique economic and geographic circumstances of a U.S. territory that has few alternatives to tourism.
