| GUAM Territory of Guam Territory of Guam (Organized, unincorporated territory of the United States) Joined United Nations: 24 October 1945 Human Rights as assured by their constitution Click here Updated 06/09/10 |
| CAPITAL |
| POPULATION |
| CHIEF OF STATE |
| SELECTION PROCESS |
Hagatna (Agana)
180,865 (July 2010 est.)
Barack Hussein Obama
President of the United States
since 20 January 2009
President of the United States
since 20 January 2009
President and Vice President elected via electoral college for a
four year term; eligible for a second term. Under the US
Constitution, residents of unincorporated territories, such
as Guam, do not vote in elections for US president and
vice president Election last held: 04 November 2008
Next scheduled election: November 2012
four year term; eligible for a second term. Under the US
Constitution, residents of unincorporated territories, such
as Guam, do not vote in elections for US president and
vice president Election last held: 04 November 2008
Next scheduled election: November 2012
HEAD OF GOVERNMENT
SELECTION PROCESS
Felix P. Camacho
Governor since 6 January 2003
Governor since 6 January 2003
Governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by
popular vote for four-year term (can serve two consecutive
terms, then must wait a full term before running again); election
last held 7 November 2006
Next scheduled election: November 2010
popular vote for four-year term (can serve two consecutive
terms, then must wait a full term before running again); election
last held 7 November 2006
Next scheduled election: November 2010
| DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS |
| ETHNIC GROUPS |
Chamorro 37.1%, Filipino 26.3%, other Pacific islander 11.3%, white 6.9%, other Asian 6.3%, other ethnic origin
or race 2.3%, mixed 9.8% (2000 census)
or race 2.3%, mixed 9.8% (2000 census)
| RELIGIONS |
Roman Catholic 85%, other 15% (1999 est.)
| GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE |
Organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations between Guam and the US under the jurisdiction of the Office
of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior; no administrative divisions. Legal is modeled on US; US federal laws apply
Executive: President and Vice President elected for four year terms, eligible for second term (not voted for by Guam
residents); Governor and Lieutenant Governor elected for four years up to two consecutive terms by Guam citizens
Legislative: Unicameral Legislature (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms)
elections: last held 4 November 2008 (next to be held November 2010)
Judicial: Federal District Court (judge is appointed by the president); Territorial Superior Court (judges appointed for
eight-year terms by the governor)
of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior; no administrative divisions. Legal is modeled on US; US federal laws apply
Executive: President and Vice President elected for four year terms, eligible for second term (not voted for by Guam
residents); Governor and Lieutenant Governor elected for four years up to two consecutive terms by Guam citizens
Legislative: Unicameral Legislature (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms)
elections: last held 4 November 2008 (next to be held November 2010)
Judicial: Federal District Court (judge is appointed by the president); Territorial Superior Court (judges appointed for
eight-year terms by the governor)
| LANGUAGES |
English 38.3%, Chamorro 22.2%, Philippine languages 22.2%, other Pacific island languages 6.8%, Asian languages
7%, other languages 3.5% (2000 census)
7%, other languages 3.5% (2000 census)
| BRIEF HISTORY |
It is believed that Guam was first discovered by sea-faring people who migrated from southeastern Indonesia around
2000 BC. Another theory points to the Philippines as a possible origin. Most of what is known about Pre-Contact
("Ancient") Chamorros comes from legends and myths, archaeological evidence, Jesuit missionary accounts, and
observations from visiting scientists like Otto von Kotzebue and Louis de Freycinet. When Europeans first arrived on
Guam Chamorro society roughly fell into three classes: matua (upper class), achaot (middle class), and mana'chang (lower
class). The matua were located in the coastal villages, which meant they had the best access to fishing grounds, while the
mana'chang were located in the interior of the island. Matua and mana'chang rarely communicated with each other, and
matua often used achaot as a go-between. There were also "makana" (shamans), skilled in healing and medicine. The only
remnant of pre-European belief systems is a lingering folk belief in Taotao Mona. The "latte stones" familiar to Guam
residents and visitors alike were in fact a recent development in Pre-Contact Chamorro society. The latte stone consists
of a head and a base shaped out of limestone. On March 6, 1521 Ferdinand Magellan came across Guam on his
expedition to circumnavigate the globe. He and his crewmen were greeted by the Chamorros, in small fast vessels called
"flying proas". They welcomed the Europeans with food and drink. According to Chamorro folk history, the Chamorros
expected to be paid in return while the Europeans saw the supplies given to them as gifts. When — having not been
recompensed for the food and hospitality — the Chamorros stole upon Magellan's ships taking iron from the decks. In
response, the Spaniards killed several islanders and burned their homes. Magellan and his men left Guam and continued
their journey to the spice islands. Angry at the 'larcenous' natives, he first dubbed Guam and the rest of the Mariana
Islands "Las Islas de los Ladrones", (The Islands of the Thieves), but in 1668 the first missionary to Guam, Padre San
Vitores, changed the name to "Las Marianas" after Mariana of Austria, widow of Spain's Philip IV. Within decades,
Guam was colonized by Spain. It was an important stop along the Spanish route between the Philippines and Mexico for
trade galleons and whaling ships. The original inhabitant population dwindled significantly as a result of disease and
rebellion against the Spaniards. Much of the adult male population was killed. Still, a population of those who identified
themselves as Chamorros remained, though the culture and bloodlines began to incorporate Spanish and other European
religion, customs, and language. On June 21, 1898, Guam was captured by the United States in a bloodless landing
during the Spanish-American War. By the Treaty of Paris, Spain officially ceded Guam to the United States. Since then,
Guam served as a way station for American ships traveling to and from the Philippines. During World War II, Guam was
attacked and invaded by the Japanese armed forces shortly after December 7, 1941. Most U.S. military personnel
evacuated prior to the invasion. The Japanese military occupation lasted from 1941 to 1944 and was a brutal experience
for the Chamorro people, whose loyalty to the United States became a point of contention with the Japanese. Some
American servicemen were still on the island and were hidden by the Chamorro people. The Battle of Guam started on
July 21, 1944 with American troops landing on the island and Guam was recaptured from Japanese military rule on
August 10 in an Allied victory. The immediate years after World War II saw the U.S. Navy attempting to resume its
predominance in Guam affairs. This eventually led to resentment, and thus increased political pressure for greater
autonomy from Chamorro leaders. The result was the Guam Organic Act of 1950 (signed by President Harry S.
Truman), which established Guam as an unincorporated organized territory of the United States and, for the first time in
Guam History, provided for a civilian government. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, section 307, granted
U.S. citizenship to "all persons born in the island of Guam on or after April 11, 1899 (whether before or after August 1,
1950)". In the 1960s, under President John F. Kennedy, the island's required security clearance for visitors was lifted. In
the meantime, Guam's local government had formed several political status commissions to address possible options for
self-determination. The following year after passage of the Guam Delegate Act saw the creation of the "Status
Commission" by the Twelfth Guam Legislature. This was followed by the establishment of the "Second Political Status
Commission" in 1975 and the Guam "Commission on Self-Determination" (CSD) in 1980. The Twenty-Fourth Guam
Legislature established the "Commission on Decolonization" in 1996 to enhance CSD's ongoing studies of various political
status options and public education campaigns. Not until 1988, six years after Guam residents overwhelmingly approved
Commonwealth status, was the first Guam Commonwealth Act introduced into Congress. Delegates have subsequently
reintroduced the bill with little success. Guam's U.S. military installations remain among the most strategically vital in the
Pacific Ocean. When the United States closed its Navy and Air Force bases in the Philippines after the expiration of their
leases in the early 1990s, many of the forces stationed there were relocated to Guam. "Cosmopolitan" Guam poses
particular challenges for Chamorros struggling to preserve their culture and identity in the face of acculturation. The
increasing numbers of Chamorros, especially Chamorro youth, relocating to the U.S. Mainland has further complicated
both definition and preservation of Chamorro identity.
Sources Wikipedia: History of Guam
2000 BC. Another theory points to the Philippines as a possible origin. Most of what is known about Pre-Contact
("Ancient") Chamorros comes from legends and myths, archaeological evidence, Jesuit missionary accounts, and
observations from visiting scientists like Otto von Kotzebue and Louis de Freycinet. When Europeans first arrived on
Guam Chamorro society roughly fell into three classes: matua (upper class), achaot (middle class), and mana'chang (lower
class). The matua were located in the coastal villages, which meant they had the best access to fishing grounds, while the
mana'chang were located in the interior of the island. Matua and mana'chang rarely communicated with each other, and
matua often used achaot as a go-between. There were also "makana" (shamans), skilled in healing and medicine. The only
remnant of pre-European belief systems is a lingering folk belief in Taotao Mona. The "latte stones" familiar to Guam
residents and visitors alike were in fact a recent development in Pre-Contact Chamorro society. The latte stone consists
of a head and a base shaped out of limestone. On March 6, 1521 Ferdinand Magellan came across Guam on his
expedition to circumnavigate the globe. He and his crewmen were greeted by the Chamorros, in small fast vessels called
"flying proas". They welcomed the Europeans with food and drink. According to Chamorro folk history, the Chamorros
expected to be paid in return while the Europeans saw the supplies given to them as gifts. When — having not been
recompensed for the food and hospitality — the Chamorros stole upon Magellan's ships taking iron from the decks. In
response, the Spaniards killed several islanders and burned their homes. Magellan and his men left Guam and continued
their journey to the spice islands. Angry at the 'larcenous' natives, he first dubbed Guam and the rest of the Mariana
Islands "Las Islas de los Ladrones", (The Islands of the Thieves), but in 1668 the first missionary to Guam, Padre San
Vitores, changed the name to "Las Marianas" after Mariana of Austria, widow of Spain's Philip IV. Within decades,
Guam was colonized by Spain. It was an important stop along the Spanish route between the Philippines and Mexico for
trade galleons and whaling ships. The original inhabitant population dwindled significantly as a result of disease and
rebellion against the Spaniards. Much of the adult male population was killed. Still, a population of those who identified
themselves as Chamorros remained, though the culture and bloodlines began to incorporate Spanish and other European
religion, customs, and language. On June 21, 1898, Guam was captured by the United States in a bloodless landing
during the Spanish-American War. By the Treaty of Paris, Spain officially ceded Guam to the United States. Since then,
Guam served as a way station for American ships traveling to and from the Philippines. During World War II, Guam was
attacked and invaded by the Japanese armed forces shortly after December 7, 1941. Most U.S. military personnel
evacuated prior to the invasion. The Japanese military occupation lasted from 1941 to 1944 and was a brutal experience
for the Chamorro people, whose loyalty to the United States became a point of contention with the Japanese. Some
American servicemen were still on the island and were hidden by the Chamorro people. The Battle of Guam started on
July 21, 1944 with American troops landing on the island and Guam was recaptured from Japanese military rule on
August 10 in an Allied victory. The immediate years after World War II saw the U.S. Navy attempting to resume its
predominance in Guam affairs. This eventually led to resentment, and thus increased political pressure for greater
autonomy from Chamorro leaders. The result was the Guam Organic Act of 1950 (signed by President Harry S.
Truman), which established Guam as an unincorporated organized territory of the United States and, for the first time in
Guam History, provided for a civilian government. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, section 307, granted
U.S. citizenship to "all persons born in the island of Guam on or after April 11, 1899 (whether before or after August 1,
1950)". In the 1960s, under President John F. Kennedy, the island's required security clearance for visitors was lifted. In
the meantime, Guam's local government had formed several political status commissions to address possible options for
self-determination. The following year after passage of the Guam Delegate Act saw the creation of the "Status
Commission" by the Twelfth Guam Legislature. This was followed by the establishment of the "Second Political Status
Commission" in 1975 and the Guam "Commission on Self-Determination" (CSD) in 1980. The Twenty-Fourth Guam
Legislature established the "Commission on Decolonization" in 1996 to enhance CSD's ongoing studies of various political
status options and public education campaigns. Not until 1988, six years after Guam residents overwhelmingly approved
Commonwealth status, was the first Guam Commonwealth Act introduced into Congress. Delegates have subsequently
reintroduced the bill with little success. Guam's U.S. military installations remain among the most strategically vital in the
Pacific Ocean. When the United States closed its Navy and Air Force bases in the Philippines after the expiration of their
leases in the early 1990s, many of the forces stationed there were relocated to Guam. "Cosmopolitan" Guam poses
particular challenges for Chamorros struggling to preserve their culture and identity in the face of acculturation. The
increasing numbers of Chamorros, especially Chamorro youth, relocating to the U.S. Mainland has further complicated
both definition and preservation of Chamorro identity.
Sources Wikipedia: History of Guam
| ECONOMIC OVERVIEW |
The economy depends largely on US military spending and tourism. Total US grants, wage payments, and procurement
outlays amounted to $1.3 billion in 2004. Over the past 30 years, the tourist industry has grown to become the largest
income source following national defense. The Guam economy continues to experience expansion in both its tourism and
military sectors.
Source: CIA World Fact Book (select Guam)
outlays amounted to $1.3 billion in 2004. Over the past 30 years, the tourist industry has grown to become the largest
income source following national defense. The Guam economy continues to experience expansion in both its tourism and
military sectors.
Source: CIA World Fact Book (select Guam)
| POLITICAL CLIMATE |
The population of Guam is largely proud to be Americans, and the economy is greatly dependent on the U.S. military
bases there. The U.S. connection also contributes to Guam's status as a Japanese tourist destination. The Guamanian
population is generally culturally sympathetic toward the United States, based especially in common tribulations during
World War II, and on good relations with the U.S. military since.
However, maintenance of the status quo vis-à-vis the current political relationship between the territory and the United
States is not without controversy. There is a significant movement in favor of the Territory becoming a commonwealth,
which would give it a political status similar to Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands. Competing movements with
less significant influence exist, which advocate political independence from the United States, statehood, or a combination
with the Northern Mariana Islands as a single territory (not necessarily commonwealth). These proposals however, are
not seen as favorable or realistic within the U.S. federal government, which argues Guam does not have the financial
stability or self sufficiency to warrant such status. The same sources quickly provide evidence of Guam’s increasing
reliance on Federal spending, and question how commonwealth status or statehood would benefit the United States as a
greater whole.
In whatever form it takes, most people on Guam favor a modified version of the current Territorial status, involving greater
autonomy from the federal government (similar to the autonomy of individual States). Perceived indifference by the U.S.
Congress regarding a change-of-status petition submitted by Guam has led many to feel that the territory is being unjustly
deprived of the benefits of a more equitable union with the United States.
Source: Wikipedia: Politics of Guam
bases there. The U.S. connection also contributes to Guam's status as a Japanese tourist destination. The Guamanian
population is generally culturally sympathetic toward the United States, based especially in common tribulations during
World War II, and on good relations with the U.S. military since.
However, maintenance of the status quo vis-à-vis the current political relationship between the territory and the United
States is not without controversy. There is a significant movement in favor of the Territory becoming a commonwealth,
which would give it a political status similar to Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands. Competing movements with
less significant influence exist, which advocate political independence from the United States, statehood, or a combination
with the Northern Mariana Islands as a single territory (not necessarily commonwealth). These proposals however, are
not seen as favorable or realistic within the U.S. federal government, which argues Guam does not have the financial
stability or self sufficiency to warrant such status. The same sources quickly provide evidence of Guam’s increasing
reliance on Federal spending, and question how commonwealth status or statehood would benefit the United States as a
greater whole.
In whatever form it takes, most people on Guam favor a modified version of the current Territorial status, involving greater
autonomy from the federal government (similar to the autonomy of individual States). Perceived indifference by the U.S.
Congress regarding a change-of-status petition submitted by Guam has led many to feel that the territory is being unjustly
deprived of the benefits of a more equitable union with the United States.
Source: Wikipedia: Politics of Guam
| INTERNATIONAL DISPUTES |
None reported.
| REFUGEES AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS (IDP) |
None reported.
| ILLICIT DRUGS |
None reported.
| HUMAN RIGHTS STATEMENTS, ANALYSIS AND CRITIQUES |
The U.S. State Department does not issue an annual Country Report regarding the Human Rights practices of the United
states and its territories. It does, however, assess the Human Rights condition of foreign countries as stated below:
The protection of fundamental human rights was a foundation stone in the establishment of the United States over 200 years ago.
Since then, a central goal of U.S. foreign policy has been the promotion of respect for human rights, as embodied in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights. The United States understands that the existence of human rights helps secure the peace, deter
aggression, promote the rule of law, combat crime and corruption, strengthen democracies, and prevent humanitarian crises.
Because the promotion of human rights is an important national interest, the United States seeks to:
states and its territories. It does, however, assess the Human Rights condition of foreign countries as stated below:
The protection of fundamental human rights was a foundation stone in the establishment of the United States over 200 years ago.
Since then, a central goal of U.S. foreign policy has been the promotion of respect for human rights, as embodied in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights. The United States understands that the existence of human rights helps secure the peace, deter
aggression, promote the rule of law, combat crime and corruption, strengthen democracies, and prevent humanitarian crises.
Because the promotion of human rights is an important national interest, the United States seeks to:
- Hold governments accountable to their obligations under universal human rights norms and international human rights
instruments; - Promote greater respect for human rights, including freedom from torture, freedom of expression, press freedom, women's
rights, children's rights, and the protection of minorities; - Promote the rule of law, seek accountability, and change cultures of impunity;
- Assist efforts to reform and strengthen the institutional capacity of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights and the UN Commission on Human Rights; and - Coordinate human rights activities with important allies, including the EU, and regional organizations.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
UN panel endorses self-rule for 11 colonies
THE United Nation’s Special Committee on Decolonization last week adopted a draft resolution endorsing self-rule for Guam and
10 other colonies of the United States and Great Britain.
The committee urges the UN General Assembly to “reaffirm that there is no alternative to the principle of self-determination, which
is a fundamental human right.”
The resolution applies to Guam, American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands, which are all territories of the United States; as well as
Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, Pitcairn, Saint Helena, Turks and Caicos Islands, which are
all under British power.
In the case of Guam, the committee recommends that the General Assembly ask the United States to acknowledge the result of the
1987 referendum, in which Chamorro voters supported the negotiation for a new relationship with the federal government. Based
on the result of the U.N. High Commission-initiated referendum, a commonwealth proposal was submitted to the U.S. Congress.
The proposal awaited debate but has since been shelved and never revisited.
Under the committee’s resolution, the U.N Assembly is asked to instruct the U.S. government to transfer lands to the original
landowners of Guam and “continue to recognize and respect their political rights, culture and ethnic identity.”
Quest for self-rule
Five decades ago, the United Nations signed a treaty that called for de-linkage of all remaining colonies from foreign rule. The U.N.’
s target is to put an end to colonialism and see the remaining colonies obtain home-rule by 2010.
The Commission on Decolonization was created in 1997 with the task of educating the public on the political status options
available for Guam: statehood, free association, and independence.
Guam’s quest for self-rule continues to hang in limbo because past efforts toward self-determination kept ending in a stalemate.
A plebiscite was initially scheduled to coincide with the 2000 general election but was later reset for the 2002 primary election. The
Guam Election Commission then faced the challenge of meeting the required percentage of voter registration, and the process again
hit a snag. The plebiscite was reset for the 2004 general election, but the legislature was compelled to postpone it indefinitely for the
same reason.
Click here to read more »
UN panel endorses self-rule for 11 colonies
THE United Nation’s Special Committee on Decolonization last week adopted a draft resolution endorsing self-rule for Guam and
10 other colonies of the United States and Great Britain.
The committee urges the UN General Assembly to “reaffirm that there is no alternative to the principle of self-determination, which
is a fundamental human right.”
The resolution applies to Guam, American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands, which are all territories of the United States; as well as
Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, Pitcairn, Saint Helena, Turks and Caicos Islands, which are
all under British power.
In the case of Guam, the committee recommends that the General Assembly ask the United States to acknowledge the result of the
1987 referendum, in which Chamorro voters supported the negotiation for a new relationship with the federal government. Based
on the result of the U.N. High Commission-initiated referendum, a commonwealth proposal was submitted to the U.S. Congress.
The proposal awaited debate but has since been shelved and never revisited.
Under the committee’s resolution, the U.N Assembly is asked to instruct the U.S. government to transfer lands to the original
landowners of Guam and “continue to recognize and respect their political rights, culture and ethnic identity.”
Quest for self-rule
Five decades ago, the United Nations signed a treaty that called for de-linkage of all remaining colonies from foreign rule. The U.N.’
s target is to put an end to colonialism and see the remaining colonies obtain home-rule by 2010.
The Commission on Decolonization was created in 1997 with the task of educating the public on the political status options
available for Guam: statehood, free association, and independence.
Guam’s quest for self-rule continues to hang in limbo because past efforts toward self-determination kept ending in a stalemate.
A plebiscite was initially scheduled to coincide with the 2000 general election but was later reset for the 2002 primary election. The
Guam Election Commission then faced the challenge of meeting the required percentage of voter registration, and the process again
hit a snag. The plebiscite was reset for the 2004 general election, but the legislature was compelled to postpone it indefinitely for the
same reason.
Click here to read more »
No Reports from Freedom House mentioning Guam after exhaustive search of their database. Please forward any
information you may have regarding Freedom House efforts on behalf of Guam to the Pax Gaea World Report editor at
the link below
Contact the editor »
information you may have regarding Freedom House efforts on behalf of Guam to the Pax Gaea World Report editor at
the link below
Contact the editor »
No Reports from Amnesty International mentioning Guam after exhaustive search of their database. Please forward any
information you may have regarding Amnesty International efforts on behalf of Guam to the Pax Gaea World Report
editor at the link below
Contact the editor »
information you may have regarding Amnesty International efforts on behalf of Guam to the Pax Gaea World Report
editor at the link below
Contact the editor »
Locked Up Far Away
December 2, 2009
XII. Unaccompanied Minors
Transfers are uniquely problematic in the case of non-citizens who are unaccompanied minors. An unaccompanied minor is
someone below the age of 18 who enters the United States without parents or other legal custodians able to provide him or her with
protection and assistance. Since these children are undocumented, they are subject to deportation and most are detained while they
await the outcome of their deportation or asylum hearings. The United States policy of detaining unaccompanied minors,
particularly those who are seeking asylum, contravenes established international standards on the care and treatment of children.
[204] For decades Human Rights Watch has focused on the rights abuses that occur when children are detained far away from
their communities of origin. As early as 1998 we recommended that the INS work to house non-citizen children near to their
communities of origin, legal services, and support.[205]
Under current operational guidelines, when ICE first apprehends an unaccompanied minor, ICE is required to send him or her as
soon as possible to a specialist facility run by the Office of Refugee Resettlement that is the least restrictive, smallest, and most
child-friendly facility available. Therefore, as soon as ICE becomes aware that it has an unaccompanied minor in its custody, the
agency “calls ORR and they tell them where the nearest open bed is, and that’s where the child goes.”[206]
The Office of Refugee Resettlement maintains 43 facilities for the detention of unaccompanied minor children throughout the
United States. The limited number of facilities combined with the increasing number of unaccompanied minors placed in detention
(approximately 10,350 in 2007)[207] has exacerbated problems caused by transfers. This is because unaccompanied children are
often placed in facilities that are even further away from their support networks than are adult detainees, since there are so few
facilities available to accommodate children.[208]
The effects of transfer upon children are really stories of unintended consequences, since the laudable goal of placing children in
the least restrictive and most child-friendly facilities has motivated the policy of housing children in facilities run by ORR.
Nevertheless, these placements often separate children from pro bono attorneys willing to help them or extended family members
who might be able to provide some support. They may also alter the law that will be applied in their deportation cases. According to
one expert specializing in this area, “What might be best for the child may not be [the] best thing for their case. We are faced with
terrible choices. Transfer of children to ORR facilities often just puts people in untenable situations.”[209]
Zhen Ching Shui, a Chinese citizen, was put on a boat by his parents while he was a teenager because he had been threatened with
sterilization by China’s birth planning department.[210] Zhen was 17 years old when he reached where his uncle lived in Guam.
Since he did not possess a valid entry document, he was placed in detention in a facility for unaccompanied minors in Phoenix,
Arizona. Although Zhen’s uncle retained an attorney for him in Guam, the lawyer experienced difficulties in representing his client
because of the distance between them. Zhen filed a motion to change venue to Guam, but it was denied. As a reviewing court
explained,
Even had the immigration judge granted Zhen’s motion to change venue for the removal proceedings to Guam, Zhen would have
remained in physical custody in Arizona.... The original reason for Zhen’s transfer to Phoenix was the lack of a juvenile detention
facility on Guam.
Click here to read more>>
December 2, 2009
XII. Unaccompanied Minors
Transfers are uniquely problematic in the case of non-citizens who are unaccompanied minors. An unaccompanied minor is
someone below the age of 18 who enters the United States without parents or other legal custodians able to provide him or her with
protection and assistance. Since these children are undocumented, they are subject to deportation and most are detained while they
await the outcome of their deportation or asylum hearings. The United States policy of detaining unaccompanied minors,
particularly those who are seeking asylum, contravenes established international standards on the care and treatment of children.
[204] For decades Human Rights Watch has focused on the rights abuses that occur when children are detained far away from
their communities of origin. As early as 1998 we recommended that the INS work to house non-citizen children near to their
communities of origin, legal services, and support.[205]
Under current operational guidelines, when ICE first apprehends an unaccompanied minor, ICE is required to send him or her as
soon as possible to a specialist facility run by the Office of Refugee Resettlement that is the least restrictive, smallest, and most
child-friendly facility available. Therefore, as soon as ICE becomes aware that it has an unaccompanied minor in its custody, the
agency “calls ORR and they tell them where the nearest open bed is, and that’s where the child goes.”[206]
The Office of Refugee Resettlement maintains 43 facilities for the detention of unaccompanied minor children throughout the
United States. The limited number of facilities combined with the increasing number of unaccompanied minors placed in detention
(approximately 10,350 in 2007)[207] has exacerbated problems caused by transfers. This is because unaccompanied children are
often placed in facilities that are even further away from their support networks than are adult detainees, since there are so few
facilities available to accommodate children.[208]
The effects of transfer upon children are really stories of unintended consequences, since the laudable goal of placing children in
the least restrictive and most child-friendly facilities has motivated the policy of housing children in facilities run by ORR.
Nevertheless, these placements often separate children from pro bono attorneys willing to help them or extended family members
who might be able to provide some support. They may also alter the law that will be applied in their deportation cases. According to
one expert specializing in this area, “What might be best for the child may not be [the] best thing for their case. We are faced with
terrible choices. Transfer of children to ORR facilities often just puts people in untenable situations.”[209]
Zhen Ching Shui, a Chinese citizen, was put on a boat by his parents while he was a teenager because he had been threatened with
sterilization by China’s birth planning department.[210] Zhen was 17 years old when he reached where his uncle lived in Guam.
Since he did not possess a valid entry document, he was placed in detention in a facility for unaccompanied minors in Phoenix,
Arizona. Although Zhen’s uncle retained an attorney for him in Guam, the lawyer experienced difficulties in representing his client
because of the distance between them. Zhen filed a motion to change venue to Guam, but it was denied. As a reviewing court
explained,
Even had the immigration judge granted Zhen’s motion to change venue for the removal proceedings to Guam, Zhen would have
remained in physical custody in Arizona.... The original reason for Zhen’s transfer to Phoenix was the lack of a juvenile detention
facility on Guam.
Click here to read more>>
War Reparations Revived
Bordallo revives war claims:
Guam bill to piggy-back on defense spending act
By Amritha Alladi
Pacific Daily News
May 22, 2010
The island's World War II survivors are confident Guam Delegate Madeleine Bordallo will garner the congressional support she
needs to pass an amendment to the fiscal 2011 National Defense Authorization Act that would pay war reparations to World War II
survivors on Guam.
On Thursday, Bordallo announced she will include H.R. 44, The Guam World War II Loyalty Recognition Act, as an addition to the
2011 defense spending bill, which was unanimously passed by the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday.
The amendment will be added when the bill heads to the floor of the House of Representatives next week, Bordallo said in a press
release.
"This strategy is identical to what was done with war claims in last year's defense spending bill due to procedural issues in the
Armed Services Committee," Bordallo stated in the release. "The House-passed version of the National Defense Authorization Act
will still need to be reconciled with the Senate's version of the defense spending bill. H.R. 44 remains my top legislative priority and
I am confident that this strategy is the most effective means of advancing war claims legislation."
Last year, her amendment was successfully adopted by the full House by voice vote as part of a block of amendments during
passage of the National Defense Authorization Act 2010, Bordallo's release stated. However, that war claims provision was
excluded from the 2010 defense spending bill after Bordallo rejected a compromise measure from Senate leaders, Pacific Daily
News files show.
According to Bordallo, the committee's chairman, Rep. Ike Skelton, has reiterated his support for the inclusion of war claims in the
defense bill again this year. But before the entire defense spending bill reaches the House floor for a final vote, it will be considered
by the Rules Committee where they will make certain amendments in order.
The bill will then go to the floor where only amendments made in order by the Rules Committee are debated, according to
Bordallo's office.
She said the amendment wasn't considered during full committee mark-up on Wednesday due to procedural issues with provisions
that are out of the House Armed Services Committee's jurisdiction, Bordallo stated in her release.
Click here to read more »
Bordallo revives war claims:
Guam bill to piggy-back on defense spending act
By Amritha Alladi
Pacific Daily News
May 22, 2010
The island's World War II survivors are confident Guam Delegate Madeleine Bordallo will garner the congressional support she
needs to pass an amendment to the fiscal 2011 National Defense Authorization Act that would pay war reparations to World War II
survivors on Guam.
On Thursday, Bordallo announced she will include H.R. 44, The Guam World War II Loyalty Recognition Act, as an addition to the
2011 defense spending bill, which was unanimously passed by the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday.
The amendment will be added when the bill heads to the floor of the House of Representatives next week, Bordallo said in a press
release.
"This strategy is identical to what was done with war claims in last year's defense spending bill due to procedural issues in the
Armed Services Committee," Bordallo stated in the release. "The House-passed version of the National Defense Authorization Act
will still need to be reconciled with the Senate's version of the defense spending bill. H.R. 44 remains my top legislative priority and
I am confident that this strategy is the most effective means of advancing war claims legislation."
Last year, her amendment was successfully adopted by the full House by voice vote as part of a block of amendments during
passage of the National Defense Authorization Act 2010, Bordallo's release stated. However, that war claims provision was
excluded from the 2010 defense spending bill after Bordallo rejected a compromise measure from Senate leaders, Pacific Daily
News files show.
According to Bordallo, the committee's chairman, Rep. Ike Skelton, has reiterated his support for the inclusion of war claims in the
defense bill again this year. But before the entire defense spending bill reaches the House floor for a final vote, it will be considered
by the Rules Committee where they will make certain amendments in order.
The bill will then go to the floor where only amendments made in order by the Rules Committee are debated, according to
Bordallo's office.
She said the amendment wasn't considered during full committee mark-up on Wednesday due to procedural issues with provisions
that are out of the House Armed Services Committee's jurisdiction, Bordallo stated in her release.
Click here to read more »
‘We will finish strong’
Tuesday, 16 February 2010 01:00
by Therese Hart | Variety News Staff
Camacho seeks one Marianas
GUAM should once again seek the reunification of the Marianas Islands, as the combined strength of the islands and her people on
matters of mutual interests and benefit, Gov. Felix Camacho said yesterday during his last state of the island address, in which he
promised to “finish strong.”
“Over the last seven years, our ties to our brothers and sisters in the neighboring islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern
Marianas Islands have become closer than ever,” Camacho said.
“Keep an open mind about the possibility of reunification,” he said. “I have faith in the Northern Marianas…and this is the right time
to realize our expectations—expect the very best vision of reunification.”
The CNMI is a part of the military buildup plan as outlined in the draft environmental impact statement.
Camacho recently met with CNMI Gov. Benigno Fitial during a Japanese Diet delegation on a fact finding mission and both were in
agreement that Guam cannot support more troops than the anticipated 8,000 Marines and their 9,000 dependents.
Fitial welcomes the additional 4,000 troops from Futenma Airbase in Okinawa and has proposed that Tinian be used for the
overflow.
Military buildup
During his speech, Camacho said the years ahead “will be challenging but prosperous for all of us.”
“I have seen in our people the desire to turn willingness into action, vision into reality and passion into responsible and positive
change.”
Camacho made a strong bid for the federal government to fund the cost of the military buildup on Guam, and expressed his strong
stand about the Marines’ relocation plan.
Click here to read more »
Tuesday, 16 February 2010 01:00
by Therese Hart | Variety News Staff
Camacho seeks one Marianas
GUAM should once again seek the reunification of the Marianas Islands, as the combined strength of the islands and her people on
matters of mutual interests and benefit, Gov. Felix Camacho said yesterday during his last state of the island address, in which he
promised to “finish strong.”
“Over the last seven years, our ties to our brothers and sisters in the neighboring islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern
Marianas Islands have become closer than ever,” Camacho said.
“Keep an open mind about the possibility of reunification,” he said. “I have faith in the Northern Marianas…and this is the right time
to realize our expectations—expect the very best vision of reunification.”
The CNMI is a part of the military buildup plan as outlined in the draft environmental impact statement.
Camacho recently met with CNMI Gov. Benigno Fitial during a Japanese Diet delegation on a fact finding mission and both were in
agreement that Guam cannot support more troops than the anticipated 8,000 Marines and their 9,000 dependents.
Fitial welcomes the additional 4,000 troops from Futenma Airbase in Okinawa and has proposed that Tinian be used for the
overflow.
Military buildup
During his speech, Camacho said the years ahead “will be challenging but prosperous for all of us.”
“I have seen in our people the desire to turn willingness into action, vision into reality and passion into responsible and positive
change.”
Camacho made a strong bid for the federal government to fund the cost of the military buildup on Guam, and expressed his strong
stand about the Marines’ relocation plan.
Click here to read more »
Maga’lahi Angel Leon Guerrero Santos
April 23rd, 2009
On Tuesday, April 14th at the Angel Santos Memorial Park in Hagatna,I Nasion Chamoru held a candlelight ceremony to celebrate
the 50th birthday of the late Angel Leon Guerrero Santos, a former Guam Senator, former Maga’lahi i Nasion Chamoru, and
someone who even almost six years after his death still continues to be a symbol through which literally the best things and the
worst things on this island are defined.
To many he represented what I call a “bone in the throat of Americanization.” Or somebody who makes the job of colonial amnesia
in Guam difficult or impossible. As a colony in constant denial that it is a colony, we on Guam seem to take any opportunity that
we can to forget or overlook our colonial relationship with the United States. We may feel as American as apple pie or Predator
spydrones, but the reality doesn’t come anywhere close to those feelings, and yet life on Guam seems to be all about trying to
overcome that gap. To deny that colonial difference, to pretend its not there, or pretend that it doesn’t really mean anything.
As Dr. Lisa Nativdad a Social Work Professor at UOG puts it, the United States sees its relationship through us through military
importance and strategic interests, whereas we on Guam tend to see it through love. And we are weaker and leave ourselves open
for abuse and exploitation because of it.
Angel Santos and Nasion Chamoru and many other groups that came before and have come after, make that colonial amnesia
difficult, they remind us about things. They remind us about past wrongs, current wrongs, and the potential for future damages.
They are committed to the betterment of Guam or to the improvement of the lives of Chamorros, but they are not committed to
denying reality or hiding the truth. They are not committed to protecting Guam’s status as being the tip of the spear or an
unsinkable aircraft carrier.
And this is what makes them so threateneing. Since its Guam’s willingness to be used by the United States, whether as bodies that
go off to fight or as a piece of real estate through which power is projected, that is our foot in the door of Americanization, or
American belonging. That is, as is often said, our role, the way that we get to be American.
A UOG student asked me last week, why Angel Santos is so important, what did he or Nasion Chamoru accomplish? In his mind
(and in the minds of many I know) all they succeeded in doing was dividing the island, dividing the island into Chamorro and non-
Chamorro and Chamorros who love America and those who don’t. Those who want more military and those who don’t.
I responded to this student in several ways. I said first, I Nasion Chamoru achieved many things, and did in fact achieve many of
the goals that brought them together as a group, most of which dealt with tano’, such as the implementation of the Chamorro Land
Trust and the return of excess military lands.
Click here to read more »
April 23rd, 2009
On Tuesday, April 14th at the Angel Santos Memorial Park in Hagatna,I Nasion Chamoru held a candlelight ceremony to celebrate
the 50th birthday of the late Angel Leon Guerrero Santos, a former Guam Senator, former Maga’lahi i Nasion Chamoru, and
someone who even almost six years after his death still continues to be a symbol through which literally the best things and the
worst things on this island are defined.
To many he represented what I call a “bone in the throat of Americanization.” Or somebody who makes the job of colonial amnesia
in Guam difficult or impossible. As a colony in constant denial that it is a colony, we on Guam seem to take any opportunity that
we can to forget or overlook our colonial relationship with the United States. We may feel as American as apple pie or Predator
spydrones, but the reality doesn’t come anywhere close to those feelings, and yet life on Guam seems to be all about trying to
overcome that gap. To deny that colonial difference, to pretend its not there, or pretend that it doesn’t really mean anything.
As Dr. Lisa Nativdad a Social Work Professor at UOG puts it, the United States sees its relationship through us through military
importance and strategic interests, whereas we on Guam tend to see it through love. And we are weaker and leave ourselves open
for abuse and exploitation because of it.
Angel Santos and Nasion Chamoru and many other groups that came before and have come after, make that colonial amnesia
difficult, they remind us about things. They remind us about past wrongs, current wrongs, and the potential for future damages.
They are committed to the betterment of Guam or to the improvement of the lives of Chamorros, but they are not committed to
denying reality or hiding the truth. They are not committed to protecting Guam’s status as being the tip of the spear or an
unsinkable aircraft carrier.
And this is what makes them so threateneing. Since its Guam’s willingness to be used by the United States, whether as bodies that
go off to fight or as a piece of real estate through which power is projected, that is our foot in the door of Americanization, or
American belonging. That is, as is often said, our role, the way that we get to be American.
A UOG student asked me last week, why Angel Santos is so important, what did he or Nasion Chamoru accomplish? In his mind
(and in the minds of many I know) all they succeeded in doing was dividing the island, dividing the island into Chamorro and non-
Chamorro and Chamorros who love America and those who don’t. Those who want more military and those who don’t.
I responded to this student in several ways. I said first, I Nasion Chamoru achieved many things, and did in fact achieve many of
the goals that brought them together as a group, most of which dealt with tano’, such as the implementation of the Chamorro Land
Trust and the return of excess military lands.
Click here to read more »
Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr.
Vice President of the United States
since 20 January 2009
Vice President of the United States
since 20 January 2009
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Dr. Michael W. Cruz
Lieutenant Governor since 1 January 2007
Lieutenant Governor since 1 January 2007
| TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS |
None reported.
