Local law agencies are collaborating and “will take criminal action against those who violate arrival requirements”
As more foreign nationals enter the island through the back door – local agencies band together to crack down and travel requirements.
PNC’s Don Sulat has more on this story
Local law agencies are enforcing criminal status for individuals arriving in Guam without proper notice or clearance from Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency.
According to the office of the Attorney General, “the federal government has the sole authority to enforce federal immigration policy and statutes. This includes the authority to remove individuals who have illegally entered or remained in the United States.”
However, Guam Law has different requirements that all vessels must meet, including the submission of a notice of arrival.
According to the OAG, individuals who violate these requirements are subject to both civil and criminal penalties.
Leevin Camacho, the Attorney General of Guam said, “We have our own local requirements for clearances. So any boat or plane that arrives in Guam, at least 48 hours in advance, they have to give notice of the number of passengers, where they’re coming from, when you’re arriving, where you’re arriving, and failure to do that is a crime under our local laws. You’re also required to submit a manifest, which includes the name and the identity as well as the ID number of all the passengers as well. A failure to submit that manifest also has certain penalties associated with it.”
Furthermore, Camacho clarifies that those entering the island through the back door, despite the CNMI being their original point of entry, can face criminal action as they have not followed the aforementioned entry protocols.
Another regulation method is through Guam’s Department of Labor.
As PNC previously reported, GDOL is cracking down on businesses to follow hiring guidelines and only hire those authorized to work in the United States.
Furthermore, AG Camacho said, “You need proper authorization, any employer needs authorization for every one of their employees. A failure to have proper results in the first offense being a $1K sanction fee, a second offense is a $2K sanction fee, and on the third offense, you would have your license revoked. So if they are coming to Guam, they aren’t submitting their clearances ahead of time, they’re not submitting manifests, and then they’re working within the workforce here. We have 2 different avenues to explore, and that again is what we’ve been discussing over the last few weeks.”
Individuals who see suspicious coastal activity are encouraged to call Guam Customs Dispatch at 671-642-8071 or 2
