Asianet Pakistan Private Limited

Immigrant advocacy groups have warned of the ‘grave impact’ of the United States S federal government shutdown on Caribbean and other immigrants.

The San Diego, California-based Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) said it was ‘gravely concerned’ noting that ‘a shutdown of even a few days could delay asylum hearings, stall visa and work permit applications, and slow the already overwhelming immigration court backlog’.

HBA’s founder and executive director, Guerline Jozef, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) these disruptions will leave families in limbo, extend detention periods, and heighten uncertainty for Haitians and other vulnerable populations.

‘Every shutdown ripples outward to those least able to withstand the consequences. Immigrants cannot afford more delayed access to justice, reunification with loved ones, or the protections they desperately need.. We call on leaders to prioritize the dignity and humanity of those caught in the middle,’ Jozef added.

The US federal government shut down at midnight on Tuesday after the US Congress failed to reach a deal on funding.

The president and chief executive officer of the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), Murad Awawdeh said that court appearances for many Caribbean and other immigrants were rescheduled without notice.

He said immigration courts across the country have responded to the shutdown ‘inconsistently, creating chaos in New York courthouses.

‘A government shutdown threatens the long-term provision of essential services and programmes for millions of children, veterans and families,’ Awawdeh told CMC.

‘Yet, the Trump administration has deemed ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency) operations and deportation activities as ‘essential’-meaning its US$170 billion mass deportation and detention agenda will continue without interruption, even as hard-working families across the country are left without critical support.

‘Immigrant communities will continue to live under the daily threat of raids, deportation, and detention, further destabilizing communities. The federal government shutdown has thrown thousands of New York families into turmoil, as they attempt to navigate access to essential services and requirements to appear in immigration courts. This isn’t how a just and functional democracy for the people should work.’

Awaedeh said that the Trump administration has intentionally turned its back on all hard working families by divesting from essential services, like health care and food programmes, in order to pour billions of dollars into ICE and CBP (US Customs and Border Protection agency).

‘The federal government is choosing to prioritize the criminalistion and separation of families over the well-being of every child and family who calls this country home and truly make America great.’

Meanwhile, Caribbean-American Democratic leaders have blamed President and the Republicans for the federal government shutdown.

‘From the moment Donald Trump took office, he and his administration have been on a relentless crusade to make this nation less affordable, less equitable, and less like the America we love with all our hearts,’ Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, told CMC.

‘This ongoing government shutdown is simply the culmination of those efforts so far. The American people are not fools,’ added the representative for the 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn.

‘They see that Republicans control the House, the Senate, and the White House, and they know the responsibility to fund the government is on the majority’s shoulders. If Republicans cannot keep the government open without Democratic votes, they should have a meaningful dialogue with our leaders rather than insult them with crude, racist caricatures for applause on social media.’

Clarke, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), said it will not support any spending bill that strips healthcare from millions, slashes federal jobs, and drives up the cost of living for working families.

Congressman Adriano Espaillat, the first Dominican Republic-American to serve in the US House of Representatives, also condemned the action by the Trump adminsitration to freeze funding for New York City transit and infrastructure.

‘The White House’s decision to threaten the Gateway Project and Second Avenue Subway, our nation’s most critical infrastructure projects, is another exhibit of the reckless partisanship and bad governance that triggered this Republican government shutdown,’ said Espaillat,

India reached 448 for five, an overall lead of 286 runs, against West Indies at the close of play on the second day of the first Test here at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Friday.

Scores

WEST INDIES 162.

INDIA 448-5 in 128 overs (Dhruv Jurel 125, Ravindra Jadeja 104 not out, KL Rahul 100, Shubman Gill 50, Yashasvi Jaiswal 36; Roston Chase 2-90).

Magistrate Ngaio Emanuel Friday sentenced a former police officer, Karim Warner, to one year in jail, after he was found guilty of discharging his firearm in a public place on December 3, 2022.

Magistrate Emanuel emphasised the seriousness of the offence, noting the risk to public safety.

The magistrate had earlier this week postponed the sentencing after the prosecutors said Warner fired 12 rounds at a motor vehicle with two occupants after a confrontation during an attempt to reclaim a leased vehicle. No one was injured.

The court heard that the male occupant refused to hand over the car before shots were fired., The 37-year-old father of two, had broken down in tears in the St John’s Magistrates’ Court this week after he was found guilty of the charge.

Warner had initially faced charges for discharging a firearm in a public place and assaulting both vehicle occupants. He maintained his innocence, entering not guilty pleas.

In February, the prosecution dropped the assault charges entirely and the situation became more complicated when the male complainant failed to appear for trial and formally withdrew from the case, stating he no longer wished to participate in the proceedings.

Despite these setbacks, Magistrate Emanuel continued with the remaining charge of discharging a firearm in a public place with testimony from four witnesses, including the female complainant, a taxi driver, police officers, and additional witnesses.

Following the prosecution’s presentation, defense attorney Andrew O’Kola mounted a no-case submission, contending that prosecutors had failed to meet the evidentiary threshold required to sustain the charges. O’Kola requested the case be dismissed outright.

But after considering the arguments from the state and the defence, Magistrate Emanuel rejected the no-case submission.

Jamaica police say they are determined to dismantle a woman-led crime syndicate so as to ensure a continued decline in criminal activities along the island’s island’s northern coast.

‘For this quarter, we will be fully pursuing this female-led robbery syndicate. We’ll be pushing hard against this syndicate to ensure that we bring the robberies right down. We’re going into the Yuletide season and we want persons to be able to shop in peace,’ Senior Superintendent Eron Samuels, told a news conference as he discussed ‘Operation Endgame,’ the new crime initiative.

The new anti-crime operation comes as police statistics show that St James has recorded 43 murders for the period January 1 to September 27, 2025, compared to 102 for the same period last year, a reduction of 57.8 per cent. Shootings have also dropped from 89 to 42 over the same comparative periods, a 52.8 per cent reduction.

Samuels said the efforts of the police in the St. James area ‘ will be relentless in ensuring that this robbery syndicate is fully demolished’, noting that the syndicate operates across several parishes.

Samuels said the work of the members of the division, including those in the zones of special operation (ZOSO) has been successful apprehending some of the main players.

ZOSOs are special security and community development measures implemented in specific communities in Jamaica to address rampant criminality or high rates of violence, transforming the areas by focusing on both law and order and social intervention for a more sustainable environment.

These zones are designated by Prime Minister Andrew Holness and involve the military and police working together with social transformation committees to achieve objectives such as enhancing the community and strengthening the police force.

‘They have made some major headway, but there are still splinters of the gang around, and with that joint effort across Area One we will see that robbery syndicate being dismantled,’ Samuels added.

Deputy Superintendent of Policce, Michael Moore, who is in charge of crime in St James, told reporters that more than a dozen perpetrators, who the police believe form part of this syndicate and operating in the St James area, have been detained.

‘Recently, we had five arrested and firearms were seized from them,’ Moore said, adding ‘these men mainly targeted our Chinese business community, and I can say with confidence right now the Chinese business community is breathing a sigh of relief, because we have arrested and charged these persons, and they are presently in custody’.

Moore said that the police have also seen where some of the bandits have moved to neighbouring parishes as a result of the relentless operational and investigative surge that the police in St James division have been doing.

Superintendent Lynroy Edwards, said the new anti-crime offensive will run into the new year and that Operation Endgame is to basically end badness and criminality in St James.

‘We have added more teeth to our activities, more assets, more intense, a combination of old and new strategies combined with our JDF (Jamaica Defence Force) partners and other formations.

‘The gangs, of course, have been feeling our effectiveness, and they are going to feel it even more, mark our word,’ he told reporters, urging Jamaicans to work with the police to ensure that people linked to criminal activities are shown that they are not welcome.

‘We just want the citizens to continue to cooperate with us, and to use a Jamaican colloquial term, continue to ‘shub dem out’, so we can keep the peace right across the parish.’