Requesting an H-1B Exemption for the Territories

I wrote to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, this week, to request an exemption for U.S. territories from the recent Presidential Proclamation intended to protect American workers by increasing the fees for new H-1B workers to $100,000. While the intent of the policy is understandable, its impact on the territories is very different. In the Marianas and across the insular areas, H-1B workers fill critical positions that cannot go unfilled, including physicians, engineers, and utility specialists who keep our hospitals, power, and water systems running. I urged the Secretary to consider the unique realities of the territories, where small labor pools and isolation make recruiting specialized workers extremely difficult. An exemption under Section 1(c) of the proclamation would help preserve essential services, stabilize local economies, and strengthen the national security posture of the United States.