Caribbean-American legislators have strongly condemned the Trump administration’s sudden freeze of visas for 75 nations, including many in the Caribbean, effective January 31, disrupting legal immigration pathways.
‘Long before he retook office, we knew Donald Trump’s war against immigrants would never be limited to his sadistic obsession with certain undocumented people. Secretary Rubio’s recent announcement that immigrant visas for 75 countries, most of which are majority populated by persons of colour, is just another chapter in the Trump administration’s long crusade of xenophobic cruelty against the most vulnerable people in the world,’ Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC). ‘Time and time again, this White House tries to masquerade its prejudices as policy and pretend that its actions are in the legitimate interests of Americans’ needs – as if an administration that slashes public benefit assistance at every opportunity truly cares about the hunger and economic stability of the American people,’ added the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC).
‘I, like Secretary Rubio, am a child of immigrants,’ continued Clarke. Rubio is the son of Cuban immigrants, who migrated to Miami.
‘Who I am is inseparable from who I come from. No matter how desperately Mr. Rubio rejects his identity, the same will always be true for him. With this bigoted action, he has not only betrayed all those from around our world who believed in the American dream, he has betrayed his very heritage as a Cuban-American.
‘I suggest that Marco Rubio take a look in the mirror. If his parents were treated the way immigrants are being treated under his leadership, he would never have had the opportunity to be referred to as Secretary Rubio.
‘I demand Secretary Rubio to reverse this racist policy immediately. He should promptly apologize for the pain, confusion, and heartbreak that he has already inflicted on families and their communities all across these United States.’
New York State Assemblymember, Brian Cunningham, the son of Jamaican immigrants, said the Trump administration’s decision to suspend immigrant visa processing for the 75 countries not only disrupts lawful immigration pathways but also ‘creates harm, and instills fear in families, employers, and communities across New York.
‘Let’s not forget that Brooklyn’s diversity is what makes us stronger,’ Cunningham told CMC. ‘I am standing in steadfast defense with Brooklyn’s diverse elected officials at every level of government – from our legislative leaders in Albany, to our Attorney General, to trailblazing elected officials across our borough.’
He said family reunification has been central to the US immigration system, providing predictability for families planning their lives and for employers relying on a stable workforce.
Cunningham said he was speaking ‘from personal experience here, as the son of Jamaican immigrants, who was fortunate enough to have a stable home life, which I largely attribute to the success I’m blessed with today.
‘Across the state, entire communities, such as the ‘Little Caribbean’ area I represent in the State Assembly, have been built through these lawful processes, all of which were suddenly cut off,’ he said.
‘Suspending visa processing without a clear or functional alternative doesn’t just disrupt stability, it destroys families and harms everyone.’
Cunningham’s Assembly colleague, Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, also told CMC: ‘As a daughter of Haitian immigrants representing one of the largest Caribbean communities in the US, the Trump administration’s suspension of visa processing really hits home.
‘The select 75 countries on the suspension list is not arbitrary, it is outright discriminatory,’ said the chair of the Brooklyn Democratic Party.
‘I am deeply concerned that the consequences of this action may trigger separation of many families in Brooklyn-home to some of the largest populations of immigrants,’ Bichotte Hermelyn added.
The Trump administration announced on January 14 that it will be freezing indefinitely all visa processing for 75 countries, including Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Notably absent from the list are Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname and the Dominican Republic, which, reportedly, have been cooperating with Washington in its military strikes in the region.