| 43 | | - | WHEREAS, from 1946 to 1958, the United States conducted sixty-seven nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands, including above-ground testing and detonation of a bomb with a magnitude of over one thousand times that of the Hiroshima bombing; and WHEREAS, partially as compensation for the loss of life, poor health conditions, displacement, and loss of land use due to nuclear testing, the Compacts of Free Association (COFA) between the United States, the Federated States of Micronesia (Yap, Pohnpei, Chuuk, Kosrae), the Republic of Palau, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands were established starting in or around 1986; and WHEREAS, the United States has a continuing military interest and presence in the region and COFA provides the United States sole access to and substantial military and veto power over areas of these island nations, which are considered of great strategic value; and WHEREAS, COFA allows citizens of COFA nations to live and legally work in the United States without visas as "non-immigrants"; and WHEREAS, while citizens of COFA nations present in the United States are eligible to receive some social and health services that other immigrants and United States citizens can receive, they are ineligible for other services, including Medicaid; and WHEREAS, under United States immigration law, there is no path to United States citizenship for citizens of COFA nations; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2023, the Senate concurring, that the United States Congress is encouraged to facilitate a path to citizenship for immigrants from the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement is requested to refrain from deporting the aforementioned immigrants; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, members of Hawaii's congressional delegation, and Director of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Report Title: Compacts of Free Association; Citizenship; Immigration; Congress |
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| 43 | + | WHEREAS, the Compacts of Free Association are a series of treaties between the United States, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands; and WHEREAS, these treaties were partially established as compensation for the loss of life, health, land, and resources due to the numerous nuclear weapons tests on the Marshall Islands and Bikini and Enewetak Atolls conducted by the United States from 1946 to 1958; and WHEREAS, the Compacts allow citizens of Micronesia to live and legally work in the United States without visas, as well as have access to social and health services; and WHEREAS, in return, the United States has sole access to and substantial military and veto power over areas of these island nations, which are considered of great strategic value; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2023, the Senate concurring, that the United States Congress is encouraged to facilitate a path to citizenship for immigrants from the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement is requested to refrain from deporting the aforementioned immigrants; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, members of Hawaii's congressional delegation, and Director of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement. OFFERED BY: _____________________________ Report Title: Compacts of Free Association; Citizenship; Immigration; Congress |
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