Demapan appointed deputy assistant secretary for Insular & International Affairs

Angel Demapan, former minority leader of the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives and chief of staff to Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, is the new deputy assistant secretary for Insular and International Affairs within the U.S. Department of Interior.

The NMI’s representative to Congress, Delegate Kimberlyn King-Hinds announced that President Donald Trump appointed Demapan. The appointment, she says, recognizes “the value of regional expertise and elevating someone who knows our islands and our issues firsthand.”

“It sends a powerful message that the Trump Administration sees the Pacific not as an afterthought, but as a vital part of the national conversation,” King-Hinds said.

King-Hinds said Demapan’s qualifications were evident when she appointed him to serve as her Legislative Director at the start of the 119th Congress. She also said Demapan’s previous experiences as a member and leader of the House of Representatives, and with the former NMI governor Torres will help him navigate the rigors of his appointment.

Demapan follows Carmen G. Cantor, who served during the Biden-Harris administration.

The deputy assistant secretary is a key advisor to the secretary of the Interior and the assistant secretary on issues affecting U.S. territories and freely associated states. The Office of Insular Affairs has administrative responsibility for coordinating federal policy in the territories of American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the NMI, as well as the oversight of federal programs and funds in the freely associated states of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau.

Demapan’s appointment comes at a critical time, King-Hinds said. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios has formally requested that the Trump Administration resume Section 902 Consultations under the Covenant. Demapan has served on two separate 902 Consultation teams for the NMI.

Palacios, in 2024, invoked Section 902 of the Covenant to Establish the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of America in the hopes of getting assistance with financial challenges and also addressing policies that the local government says hampers the NMI’s efforts to restore its economy. See Journal story: Palacios writes to Biden to open consultation on NMI-US Covenant; request follows news of Hyatt closure. At least one meeting was held with the Biden administration, which Palacios said was “promising.” mbj

Demapan appointed deputy assistant secretary for Insular & International Affairs