Top CNMI leaders told the White House that the Commonwealth’s worsening economy has become a national security concern and urged the federal government to act.
NMI Delegate Kimberlyn King-Hinds, Gov. David Apatang, Senate President Karl King Nabors, and House Speaker Edmund Villagomez have sent joint letters to President Donald J. Trump and Adm. Samuel Paparo, the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. The letters warn that the CNMI’s accelerating economic decline could soon undermine the civilian systems that support U.S. military access and readiness in the region.
King-Hinds said the Commonwealth’s small economy “leaves little room for additional shocks,” and that failing civilian systems have consequences far beyond local governance. She said stable communities, reliable infrastructure and a functioning economy are essential to sustaining a long-term U.S. presence in the Pacific.
Apatang said the situation is urgent, noting that businesses are closing and residents continue to leave. He said the federal government already has tools that could help stabilize the Commonwealth, and that acting quickly “makes a real difference.”
Nabors said America’s strength in the Indo-Pacific depends not only on military assets but on the health of the civilian communities that support them. He said allowing a U.S. jurisdiction of strategic importance to erode economically would weaken the foundation for long-term presence.
Villagomez said preventing systemic economic failure now will preserve future options for both the CNMI and the United States.
The leaders said the actions they are requesting fall within existing federal authorities and do not require new funding. They said timely engagement could prevent cascading failures across essential services, the workforce and infrastructure.
The letters are part of a coordinated effort to ensure the CNMI’s situation is fully understood within broader U.S. strategic planning for the Indo-Pacific.
