In the Commonwealth Of The Northern Mariana Islands, the owner of the now-closed Tinian Dynasty Hotel And Casino is reportedly suing United States immigration officials for allegedly damaging its reputation and severely interfering with its ability to successfully run the San Jose business.

According to a report from the Saipan Tribune newspaper, Hong Kong Entertainment (Overseas) Investments Limited closed the casino at its Tinian Dynasty Hotel And Casino in September of 2015 before shuttering its hotel operation a year ago as a result of the United States Citizenship And Immigration Services component of the United States Department Of Homeland Security repeatedly refusing to grant its foreign-born employees with CW-1 work permits.

Hong Kong Entertainment (Overseas) Investments Limited is now reportedly suing the United States Citizenship And Immigration Services along with the component’s former Director, Leon Rodriguez, and Jeh Johnson, the past United States Secretary Of Homeland Security, for these denials and allegations that the trio had helped to brand the Tinian Dynasty Hotel And Casino as an “illegitimate business”.

The newspaper reported that Hong Kong Entertainment (Overseas) Investments Limited had been accused by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network in 2013 of violating anti-money laundering protocols under the Bank Secrecy Act but the operator signed a non-prosecution agreement that saw the action dismissed in July of 2015. In its lawsuit, the operator contends that its employees had been repeatedly refused CW-1 work permits as the matter worked its way through the federal court system.

In addition, George Anthony Long, a lawyer working for Hong Kong Entertainment (Overseas) Investments Limited, told the newspaper that the United States Citizenship And Immigration Services had agreed to revisit the denials if his client prevailed or was not convicted. However, seven months after agreeing to the non-prosecution settlement and the bureau’s Administrative Appeals Office upheld the CW-1 refusals after determining that the operator did not run a “legitimate business”.

In its reply, the United States Department Of Justice’s Office Of Immigration Litigation has reportedly denied the allegation that it had designated Hong Kong Entertainment (Overseas) Investments Limited “as an illegitimate business” or ever referred to the operator as an “illegitimate business”.

Heather Sokolower from the Office Of Immigration Litigation told the newspaper that Hong Kong Entertainment (Overseas) Investments Limited has mischaracterized the actions of the United States Citizenship And Immigration Services and has offered no facts or evidence that its decision to deny the CW-1 petitions had caused injury.