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The Department of Homeland Security has pulled the plug on a controversial visa‑free travel program for Chinese nationals to the Northern Mariana Islands. The move suspends the CNMI Economic Vitality & Security Travel Authorization Program (EVS‑TAP) while officials review security and immigration risks. This is a clear win for national security — and a reminder that open doors have costs.
DHS suspends EVS‑TAP: what changed and who it affects
Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin signed a Federal Register notice that halts the EVS‑TAP subprogram. The suspension stops new applications and revokes previously approved authorizations, though travelers already lawfully present in the CNMI may finish their authorized stays. After the suspension takes effect, Chinese nationals who want to visit the Northern Mariana Islands must go through the standard consular visa process.
Why DHS acted: birth tourism, espionage and Guam security
The agency spells out the reasons plainly: the program created “unacceptable security and law enforcement risks.” DHS cited concerns about birth tourism, possible intelligence collection near U.S. military assets, and illegal onward travel from the CNMI to Guam. The notice also notes more than 3,000 Chinese nationals used the program in the prior fiscal year — a volume DHS says was too high given the islands’ strategic importance.
Politics and local reaction
Republican senators who raised alarms earlier this year — including Senator Mike Lee, Senator Rick Scott, Senator John Cornyn, and Senator Bill Cassidy — applauded the suspension. Secretary Mullin delivered exactly what those lawmakers demanded: a pause to protect national security. Meanwhile, CNMI officials and Delegate Kimberlyn King‑Hinds warn the suspension could hurt island businesses and hospitals that benefited from short‑term visitors. Their concern about lost tourism dollars is real, but national security must come first.
What comes next and why it matters
DHS said it will consult with the Secretaries of State and Interior before deciding whether the pause is temporary or permanent. Congress and local leaders will watch closely — and so should the American public. If the federal government reopens this program without stronger safeguards, it will invite the same risks DHS just recognized. For now, the suspension is a sensible, if overdue, course correction: security over convenience, commonsense over carelessness. Expect further oversight and public debate as officials sort out the next steps.
