[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 84 (Thursday, April 30, 2020)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 23902-23904]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-07616]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Executive Office for Immigration Review

8 CFR Parts 1208, 1209, 1212, and 1235

[AG Order No. 4667-2020]
RIN 1125-AA95


Implementation of the Northern Mariana Islands U.S. Workforce Act 
of 2018

AGENCY: Executive Office for Immigration Review, DOJ.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Justice (``DOJ'' or ``the Department'') is 
making technical amendments to its regulations to conform to changes 
made by the Northern Mariana Islands U.S. Workforce Act of 2018 
(Workforce Act). The Workforce Act, in part, extended the bar for 
asylum in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) by 
fifteen years, providing that the current bar will continue to apply 
for asylum applications submitted prior to January 1, 2030. This final 
rule makes the necessary conforming date changes in the Department's 
regulations.

DATES: This rule is effective June 1, 2020.

[[Page 23903]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lauren Alder Reid, Assistant Director, 
Office of Policy, Executive Office for Immigration Review, 5107 
Leesburg Pike, Suite 2616, Falls Church, VA 22041, telephone (703) 305-
0289 (not a toll-free call).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI)-Only 
Transitional Worker (CW-1) program allows employers within the CNMI to 
apply for permission to employ nonimmigrant workers who are otherwise 
ineligible to work in the CNMI under other nonimmigrant worker 
categories. See Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands 
Transitional Worker Classification, 76 FR 55502 (Sept. 7, 2011). This 
transitional worker program was intended to provide for an orderly 
transition for those workers from the CNMI permit system to the U.S. 
federal immigration system under the Immigration and Nationality Act 
(``INA''), and to mitigate potential harm to the CNMI economy as 
employers adjust their hiring practices and as foreign workers obtain 
U.S. immigrant or nonimmigrant status.
    On July 24, 2018, President Donald J. Trump signed the Northern 
Mariana Islands U.S. Workforce Act of 2018 (``the Workforce Act''), 
Public Law 115-218, 132 Stat. 1547. The stated purposes of the 
Workforce Act are to increase the percentage of United States workers 
in the total workforce of the CNMI, while maintaining the minimum 
number of non-U.S. workers to meet the demands of the CNMI's economy; 
to encourage the hiring of United States workers into the CNMI 
workforce; and to ensure that no U.S. worker is at a competitive 
disadvantage compared to a non-U.S. worker or is displaced by a non-
U.S. worker. Workforce Act sec. 2.
    The Workforce Act made a number of changes to the transitional 
provisions of Title VII of the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 
2008 (``CNRA''), Public Law 110-229, 122 Stat. 754, 853-854--which 
extended the U.S. immigration laws, with limited exceptions, to the 
CNMI--and requires the Secretaries of Homeland Security and Labor to 
each promulgate an Interim Final Rule (``IFR'') implementing the 
related statutory changes. The Department of Labor (``DOL'') IFR was 
published on April 1, 2019, and went into effect on April 4, 2019.\1\
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    \1\ 84 FR 12380 (Apr. 1, 2019).
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    Most of the other changes implemented under the Workforce Act that 
govern immigration policy and procedures will affect Department of 
Homeland Security (``DHS'') regulations. The resulting revisions to the 
DHS regulations will be addressed in a separate rulemaking. However, 
given the authority of the immigration judges and the Board of 
Immigration Appeals (``BIA'') to adjudicate asylum claims for aliens 
who are placed in proceedings before the immigration judges and the 
BIA, the Attorney General is making technical amendments to its 
regulations to reflect that the Workforce Act extended the statutory 
bar for asylum in the CNMI by fifteen years. Accordingly, this final 
rule replaces the current date of ``January 1, 2015'' with the new date 
of ``January 1, 2030'' in the applicable sections of the regulations.

II. Legal Authority

    The Attorney General's general authority for the regulatory 
amendments is found in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), 8 
U.S.C. 1101 et seq., and the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (HSA), 
Public Law 107-296, 116 Stat. 2135, 6 U.S.C. 101 et seq. The Attorney 
General's specific authority for issuing this rule is found in section 
103(g) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1103(g), which authorizes the Attorney 
General to administer and enforce the immigration and nationality laws, 
as well as section 1101 of the HSA, 6 U.S.C. 521.

III. Technical Amendments

    The Attorney General is making technical amendments to regulations 
of the Executive Office for Immigration Review (``EOIR'') to reflect 
that Congress has extended the statutory bar for asylum in the CNMI by 
fifteen years. See Workforce Act at sec. 3(a); 48 U.S.C. 1806(a)(2). 
These technical amendments (i.e., a change of date) are being made in 
the following provisions of the EOIR regulations: 8 CFR 1208.1(a)(2), 
1208.2(c)(1)(iii), (iv), (vii), (viii), 1208.4(a)(2)(ii), 1208.5(a), 
(b)(1)(iii), 1208.30(a), 1209.2(a)(3), 1212.1(q)(8)(i)(A), (ii)(A), and 
1235.6(a)(1)(ii), (iii). These are the only changes being made in the 
EOIR regulations.

IV. Statutory and Regulatory Requirements

A. Executive Orders 12866, 13563, and 13771

    This rule has been drafted and reviewed in accordance with 
Executive Order 12866, ``Regulatory Planning and Review,'' section 
1(b), The Principles of Regulation; Executive Order 13563, ``Improving 
Regulation and Regulatory Review,'' section 1(b), General Principles of 
Regulation; and Executive Order 13771, ``Reducing Regulation and 
Controlling Regulatory Costs.'' The rule merely revises regulations to 
conform to a new date set by the Workforce Act. The Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, of the Office of Management and 
Budget, has determined that this final rule is not a ``significant 
regulatory action'' as defined in Executive Order 12866, section 3(f). 
Accordingly, this final rule has not been reviewed by the Office of 
Management and Budget.
    Finally, because this rule is not a significant regulatory action, 
it is not subject to the requirements of Executive Order 13771. There 
are no costs associated with this regulation. Because there are no 
costs associated with this final rule, there are no monetized benefits.

B. Executive Order 13132

    This final rule will not have substantial direct effects on the 
States, on the relationship between the Federal Government and the 
States, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities among the 
various levels of government. Therefore, in accordance with section 6 
of Executive Order 13132, ``Federalism,'' the Attorney General has 
determined that this regulation does not have sufficient federalism 
implications to warrant the preparation of a federalism summary impact 
statement.

C. Executive Order 12988

    This regulation meets the applicable standards set forth in 
sections 3(a) and 3(b)(2) of Executive Order 12988, ``Civil Justice 
Reform.''

D. Administrative Procedure Act

    Under the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(B), an 
agency may, for good cause, find that the usual requirements of prior 
notice and comment are impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the 
public interest. The rule merely makes technical amendments to the EOIR 
regulations to reflect that Congress has extended the statutory bar for 
asylum in the CNMI by fifteen years. Because the Department must follow 
the mandate of Congress and has no discretion in the matter, the 
Department has determined that publishing a notice of proposed 
rulemaking and providing opportunity for public comment is unnecessary.

E. Regulatory Flexibility Act

    In accordance with the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 603, 
604, and

[[Page 23904]]

605(b), a Regulatory Flexibility Analysis is not required for this 
final rule because the Department was not required to publish a general 
notice of proposed rulemaking for this regulatory amendment.

F. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995

    This rule will not result in the expenditure by State, local, and 
tribal governments, in the aggregate, or by the private sector, of $100 
million or more in any one year, and it will not significantly or 
uniquely affect small governments. Therefore, no actions were deemed 
necessary under the provisions of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 
1995, 2 U.S.C. 1531-1535.

G. Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

    This final rule does not impose any new reporting or recordkeeping 
requirements under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3501-
3521.

H. Congressional Review Act of 1996

    This rule is not a major rule as defined by the Congressional 
Review Act of 1996, 5 U.S.C. 804.

List of Subjects

8 CFR Part 1208

    Administrative practice and procedure, Aliens, Immigration, 
Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

8 CFR Part 1209

    Aliens, Immigration, Refugees.

8 CFR Part 1212

    Administrative practice and procedure, Aliens, Immigration, 
Passports and visas, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

8 CFR Part 1235

    Administrative practice and procedure, Aliens, Immigration, 
Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

    Accordingly, the Attorney General amends 8 CFR parts 1208, 1209, 
1212, and 1235 as follows:

PART 1208--PROCEDURES FOR ASYLUM AND WITHHOLDING OF REMOVAL

0
1. The authority citation for part 1208 is revised to read as follows:

    Authority:  8 U.S.C. 1101, 1103, 1158, 1226, 1252, 1282; Title 
VII of Pub. L. 110-229; Pub. L. 115-218.


Sec. Sec.  1208.1, 1208.2, 1208.4, 1208.5, and 1208.30   [Amended]

0
2. In part 1208, remove the date ``January 1, 2015'' and add in its 
place the date ``January 1, 2030'' in the following places:
0
a. Section 1208.1(a)(2) (two occurrences);
0
b. Section 1208.2(c)(1)(iii), (iv), (vii), and (viii);
0
c. Section 1208.4(a)(2)(ii) (two occurrences);
0
d. Section 1208.5(a) and (b)(1)(iii);
0
e. Section 1208.30(a).

PART 1209--ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS OF REFUGEES AND ALIENS GRANTED 
ASYLUM

0
3. The authority citation for part 1209 is revised to read as follows:

    Authority:  8 U.S.C. 1101, 1103, 1157, 1158, 1159, 1228, 1252, 
1282; Title VII of Pub. L. 110-229; Pub. L. 115-218.


Sec.  1209.2   [Amended]

0
4. In Sec.  1209.2, remove the date ``January 1, 2015'' and add in its 
place the date ``January 1, 2030'' in paragraph (a)(3).

PART 1212--DOCUMENTARY REQUIREMENTS; NONIMMIGRANTS; WAIVERS; 
ADMISSION OF CERTAIN INADMISSIBLE ALIENS; PAROLE

0
5. The authority citation for part 1212 is revised to read as follows:

    Authority:  8 U.S.C. 1101 and note, 1102, 1103, 1182 and note, 
1184, 1187, 1223, 1225, 1226, 1227, 1255; 8 U.S.C. 1185 note 
(section 7209 of Pub. L. 108-458); Title VII of Pub. L. 110-229; 
Pub. L. 115-218.


Sec.  1212.1   [Amended]

0
6. In Sec.  1212.1, remove the date ``January 1, 2015'' and add in its 
place the date ``January 1, 2030'' wherever it appears in paragraphs 
(q)(8)(i)(A) and (q)(8)(ii)(A).

PART 1235--INSPECTION OF PERSONS APPLYING FOR ADMISSION

0
7. The authority citation for part 1235 is revised to read as follows:

    Authority:  8 U.S.C. 1101 and note, 1103, 1183, 1185 (pursuant 
to E.O. 13323, 69 FR 241, 3 CFR, 2003 Comp., p. 278), 1201, 1224, 
1225, 1226, 1228, 1365a note, 1379, 1731-32; Title VII of Pub. L. 
110-229; 8 U.S.C. 1185 note (section 7209 of Pub. L. 108-458); 
Public Law 115-218.


Sec.  1235.6   [Amended]

0
8. In Sec.  1235.6, remove the date ``January 1, 2015'' and add in its 
place the date ``January 1, 2030'' in paragraphs (a)(1)(ii) and (iii).

    Dated: March 17, 2020.
William P. Barr,
Attorney General.
[FR Doc. 2020-07616 Filed 4-29-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4410-30-P