The unified mayors of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands have formally asked President Donald Trump to deliver federal assistance to the CNMI, citing economic distress, storm recovery needs and mounting fiscal pressures across the islands.
In a joint letter dated Sept. 30, 2026, the mayors of Saipan, Tinian and Aguiguan, Rota, and the Northern Islands urged the White House to “stand with us once again” as the CNMI faces what they described as an “extraordinary convergence of challenges.”
The letter emphasizes the mayors’ daily contact with residents and their firsthand view of worsening conditions. “We hear from families struggling with the rising cost of living… and we see firsthand the damage left by the storms and the difficulty of rebuilding with the limited resources available to us,” the mayors wrote.
Super Typhoons Sinlaku and Bavi caused widespread destruction across the islands, leaving homes, utilities, roads and public facilities in need of major repair. The mayors said the CNMI’s strained economy and the Commonwealth government’s fiscal challenges have made recovery even more difficult.
On Wednesday, Saipan Mayor Ramon “RB” Camacho met with CNMI Del. Kimberlyn King‑Hinds and asked her to personally deliver the mayors’ letter to President Trump on behalf of the collective municipalities. Camacho said the unified request reflects the urgency felt across all islands and the need for federal partnership.
The mayors also highlighted the CNMI’s strategic role in U.S. national defense, noting that the islands have consistently supported military activities in the region. “When our nation calls upon the Marianas to support America’s defense and national interests, we answer,” they wrote. “When our islands face disasters and extraordinary hardship, we respectfully ask that America answer us as well.”
They urged the administration to work with the governor, local governments and federal partners to identify “every appropriate means of providing meaningful assistance.”
The letter closes with a direct appeal: “Mr. President, we respectfully ask for your help on behalf of the people we represent. We ask you to hear the voice of the people of the Northern Mariana Islands — not simply through reports and statistics, but through the local leaders who see their needs every day.”
Federal officials, including Vice President J.D. Vance, House Speaker Mike Johnson and King‑Hinds, were copied on the correspondence.
