Compacts of Free Association: Improvements Needed to Assess and Address Growing Migration
GAO-12-64
Published: Nov 14, 2011. Publicly Released: Nov 14, 2011.
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Highlights
U.S. compacts with the freely associated states (FAS)--the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the Marshall Islands, and Palau--permit FAS citizens to migrate to the United States and its territories (U.S. areas) without regard to visa and labor certification requirements. Thousands of FAS citizens have migrated to U.S. areas (compact migrants)--particularly to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Guam, and Hawaii, which are defined as affected jurisdictions. In fiscal year 2004, Congress appropriated $30 million annually for 20 years to help defray affected jurisdictions' costs for migrant services (compact impact). Though not required, affected jurisdictions can report these costs to the Department of the Interior (Interior), which allocates the $30 million as impact grants in proportion to compact migrant enumerations required every 5 years. This report (1) describes compact migration, (2) reviews enumeration approaches, (3) evaluates impact reporting, and (4) reviews Interior grants related to compact impact. GAO reviewed U.S. agency data, recent enumerations, impact reports, and grants and it also interviewed officials, employers, and migrants in the affected jurisdictions.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of the Interior | In order to select the most appropriate approach for its next enumeration of compact migrants, the Secretary of the Interior should fully consider the strengths and limitations of its preliminary approach for 2013, weighing the cost of the approach with the need for data that will be fair as well as useful to the affected jurisdictions. | In January 2012, Interior concurred with our recommendation that it fully consider the strengths and limitations of its preliminary approach for the 2013 enumeration, weighing the cost of the approach with the need for data that will be fair as well as useful to the affected jurisdictions. In March 2012, to prepare for the 2013 enumeration approach, Interior received cost estimates from Census for multiple approaches to the enumeration ranging from a tabulation of existing data to an independent sample survey in Guam, Hawaii, and the CNMI. Interior also sought concurrence on the proposed approach in advance of the survey from each of the affected jurisdictions and modified its approach... based on comments from Guam.
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| Department of the Interior | In order to strengthen its ability to collect, evaluate, and transmit reliable information to Congress, the Secretary of the Interior should disseminate guidelines to the affected jurisdictions that adequately address concepts essential to producing reliable impact estimates, and call for the affected jurisdictions to apply these guidelines when developing compact impact reports. | In a January 13, 2012 letter, Interior provided a status update to GAO and the Congress on this recommendation. Interior stated that it generally concurred with the recommendation and that it would advise the governors of affected jurisdictions of possible guidelines to develop compact reports. In addition, Interior officials met with staff of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and GAO representatives on January 17, 2012 to discuss approaches to preparing this guidance. Interior targeted a completion date of September 15, 2012 for the guidance at that time. In March 2012, Interior met with three of the four governors of affected jurisdictions, Hawaii, the CNMI, and Guam....
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| Department of the Interior | In order to promote the most effective use of compact impact grants, the Secretary of the Interior should work with the affected jurisdictions to evaluate the current use of grant funds and consider alternative uses of these grants to reduce compact impact. | In its November 2011 report, Compacts of Free Association: Improvements Needed to Assess and Address Growing Migration (GAO-12-64), GAO found that Interior's compact impact grants have generally been used for affected jurisdictions' budget support, projects, and purchases in the areas of education, health, and public safety. However, government officials, service providers, and compact migrants noted that the complex challenges confronting service providers and migrants could be more directly addressed. The U.S. Department of the Interior (Interior) disagreed with the recommendation, saying that the amended compacts' enabling legislation authorizes broad uses of compact impact grants and...
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| Department of the Interior | In order to help mitigate compact impact and better assist FSM and Marshall Islands citizens who migrate to the United States, the Secretary of the Interior should work with the U.S.-FSM and U.S.-Marshall Islands joint management committees to consider uses of sector grants that would address the concerns of FSM and Marshallese migrants and the affected jurisdictions. | In January 2012, in a status update to GAO and the Congress, Interior stated that it generally concurred with this recommendation and that it will request the bi-lateral Joint Economic Management Committees (JEMs) to consider uses of compact funding for activities within the respective FAS country that may meet both goals. Each JEM included compact impact as a topic of discussion at the March 2012 JEM mid-year meeting. Interior stated that it urged each FAS to program fiscal year 2013 Compact funds in consideration of the adjustments of migrants by undertaking projects such as the preparation of educational materials and videos to help orient possible migrants to the U.S. On this basis...
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CensusCompensationCost analysisData collectionEconomic assistanceFederal grantsGrantsImpacted areasInformation managementInternational agreementsJurisdictional authorityPopulation growthPopulation statisticsReporting requirementsResidencesStatistical methodsSurveysUse of fundsCost growth