Guam’s political status under scrutiny amid deep-sea mining push

The possibility of a deep-sea mining operation in Guam has continuously caused concern amongst the territory’s citizens and politicians. In April 2025, President Donald Trump passed Executive Order 14285, which promotes the development of these operations. Since then, community leaders and activist groups have become increasingly vocal about the environmental harm that deep-sea mining would cause. Concerns include seabed destruction, loss of biodiversity, and direct harm to marine life. Chelsa Muna, director of the Guam Department of Agriculture, emphasizes the impact deep-sea mining would have on Guam’s fishing industry. Muna stressed that “everything would be affected… even if they don’t derive from beyond, they still move through.” 

Governor Lou Leon Guerrero of Guam expressed vulnerability in response to these threats at the Commission of Decolonization’s meeting on January 6, 2026. 

“Because of our status, we are not even at the table to negotiate any of this,” Guerrero said.

Guam’s lack of representation both in Congress and in the electoral college provides Guam residents with no outlet to voice their concerns in an impactful way. She highlighted the frustrations shared by the citizens in American Samoa and Guam. 

“You know how you look at pictures of the dinosaurs and the land is cracked and dried and there is no greenery?” Guerrero asked. “That is how I feel our seabed is going to look. We cannot allow this. We cannot.” In addition to environmental destruction, officials are concerned that the plan proposed by Impossible Metals, the company interested in deep-sea mining, would economically exploit Guam’s resources. 

“Without sovereign status… we can’t capture any type of profit margin that we should if we are exploiting a natural resource, “ said Melvin Won Pat-Borja, executive director of the Guam Commission on Decolonization.

This pushed Governor Guerrero to voice support for the legislation introduced by Senator Parkinson in November. Over the past 6 years, Guam has experienced political gridlock due to controversy over voting eligibility. This bill proposed a plan for voting eligibility based on the date that residents lived in Guam, plus their descendants. If passed, it would mean a step towards a status change for Guam and, therefore, real political power over issues that affect the island. 

“I think we need to continue fighting for our self-determination… status quo is not an option,” Guerrero explained to The Guam Daily Post.

Without sovereignty, Guam is left with no negotiating power, leaving it vulnerable to environmental and economic exploitation. Threats of deep-sea mining that disregard the interests of Guam in the name of corporate profit lead citizens and politicians alike to believe that a status change for Guam is a top priority.