The freely associated states’ (FAS) diplomats have reminded the new US administration that migrants from the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Palau and the Marshall Islands have legal rights to live in the US or any of its territories under the Compacts of Free Association.
Pacific Island Times reports that FAS Ambassadors met with officials of the US State Department and the Department of the Interior in Washington in a bid to iron out the confusion created by President Donald Trump’s January 20 executive order on immigration overhaul.
The presidential directive sought to launch a broad crackdown on undocumented aliens, and pause
birthright citizenship granted to children of temporary visa holders and undocumented immigrants born in the United States.
According to a statement from the FSM government, “The Ambassadors explained that the orders, including the birthright executive orders, are not applicable to their citizens because of the detailed rights accorded to FAS citizens under the compacts.”
Under Washington’s compacts with the FSM, Palau and the Marshall Islands, citizens from these freely
associated states are free to enter and remain in the US without visas to live, work, and study, without any limitation on the duration of their stays.
Besides granting visa-free entry rights to FAS citizens, the compacts also provide comprehensive economic packages to the FSM, the Marshall Islands and Palau in exchange for exclusive defence rights in the three Pacific Island nations.
“The US side noted that it understood the compact rights, took these concerns seriously, and would
continue to be in touch with the FAS embassies,” the FSM government’s statement said.
The FSM Embassy in Washington has issued an advisory, clarifying the status of Micronesians living in the US.
“As a result of this special status under the laws of the United States, FSM citizens in the United States would not be considered ‘illegal’ immigrants under a recent executive order and are therefore not subject to removal under that order.”
The embassy noted that FSM migrants “are not considered temporary visa holders and therefore would not be subject to an executive order that excludes the children of temporary visitors from birthright citizenship.”
The Biden administration renewed the compacts’ economic provision in March 2024, pledging US$7.1 billion to the three nations for the next 20 years.
“The Ambassadors raised the 90-day US pause on some categories of foreign assistance and noted them
understanding that the pause was not relevant to compact sector grants, which are administered by the US Department of the Interior and therefore not covered under the foreign assistance order,” the FSM
government said in a press release.
The Ambassadors also noted the importance of having no or minimal interruptions in other categories of
assistance administered by the State Department and the US. Agency for International Development.
“The US panel agreed to review the foreign assistance orders with these concerns in mind and noted that the 90-day freeze on some categories of foreign assistance was, in any event, the subject of undergoing internal review,” the FSM government said.
