[ OUR OPINION ]

Congress owes Hawaii
for immigrant services

THE ISSUE The United States, Micronesia and the Marshall Islands have agreed to gradual reductions in aid to those island nations.

HAWAII has been forced to shoulder an unfair expense for services provided to immigrants from the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the burden is about to become much larger. Reduction in U.S. federal aid included in a new agreement with those Pacific island nations is likely to increase immigration to Hawaii. If Congress wishes to maintain freedom of immigration by those islanders, it should compensate Hawaii in appropriate amounts.

A 1986 compact with the former U.S. trust territories gave Micronesia and the Marshalls self-rule, free migration to the United States and access to education, welfare and other services. Poverty in those islands caused thousands to take advantage of the immigration opportunity.

However, the immigrants do not qualify for federal benefits such as Medicare and Medicaid, so Hawaii is obliged to provide them coverage in all areas. The Bush administration has proposed annual payments of $15 million beginning in October to be distributed among Hawaii, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands as compensation, but that is inadequate. A federal report has estimated the yearly cost of services for the Pacific islanders at more than $100 million in Hawaii alone.

Amendments to the 1986 compact signed this month would replace the $150 million annually that the U.S. has been paying to Micronesia and the Marshalls with a trust fund that will provide dwindling amounts over the next 20 years, ending with the desired goal of self-sufficiency. The island representatives obviously are less than enthusiastic about the deal.

"As we have stated many times in the past," said Jesse B. Marehalau, the Micronesian ambassador to the United States, "our economic analyses unequivocally show that the reduced levels of assistance in the document as signed severely jeopardize our chances of continued economic growth and development." Those levels, he said at the signing, "do not in any way replace existing federal programs." Marehalau said he signed the agreement only so it would "not delay the process unreasonably," in hopes that Congress will provide greater assistance.

Reduction of federal services in those islands seems certain to increase migration, says Gerard Finin, acting director of the Pacific Islands Development Program at the East-West Center. "As anybody who's ever studied migration knows," he says, "people tend to go where they already have friends, relatives or some familiarity. I think that's where the impact on Hawaii will be felt most clearly."

Congress needs to be reminded that the federal law regarding the 1986 compacts provides that it "will act sympathetically and expeditiously to redress" any adverse consequences to Hawaii, Guam and the Northern Marianas. Congress has failed to keep that promise, and it is being asked to renege even more.