When Tourists Can’t Get Here, Our Recovery Suffers

For me, understanding our current economic challenges comes down to a simple sequence: people need jobs. Jobs come from businesses. Businesses need customers. Tourism brings those customers. But tourists can’t come to the CNMI without planes—and planes won’t come without demand. That’s why air service and the ability for visitors to arrive without delay is absolutely essential to our recovery. We’re now facing another roadblock. Delays in processing international visitors under the EVS-TAP are making it harder for tourists to reach the CNMI—and when demand drops, air service does too. That’s why, after learning about these delays, I wrote to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to raise concern and request better communication and transparency. EVS-TAP supports 9% of current tourist arrivals. We can’t afford to lose that—and I’ll continue fighting to ensure this program works as intended - more protections for our borders, and more opportunities for our economy.