Caribbean elected officers over the weekend strongly condemned the Trump administration’s sudden freeze of visas for 75 nations, together with many within the Caribbean, efficient Jan. 31, disrupting authorized 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 color, is just another chapter in the Trump administration’s long crusade of xenophobic cruelty against the most vulnerable people in the world,” U.S. Rep. Yvette D.
Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, instructed Caribbean Life on Saturday, Jan. 17.
“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, as if an administration that habitually breaks the law to inflict maximum harm on our immigrant neighbors could ever have a motive centered in anything but nationalist hysteria,” added the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), who represents the ninth Congressional District in Brooklyn.
“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,” Clarke mentioned. “Regardless of how desperately Mr. Rubio rejects his id, the identical will all the time be true for him. With this bigoted motion, he has not solely betrayed all these from round our world who believed within the American dream, however he has betrayed his very heritage as a Cuban-American.
U.S. Rep. Yvette D. Clarke. Photograph courtesy Workplace of Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke
“I suggest that Marco Rubio take a look in the mirror,” the U.S. Rep. added. “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 that Secretary Rubio to reverse this racist policy immediately,” Clarke continued. “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 Meeting Member Brian Cunningham, the son of Jamaican immigrants, mentioned the Trump administration’s determination disrupts lawful immigration pathways and “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, consultant for the forty third Meeting District in Brooklyn, instructed Caribbean Life. “I’m standing in steadfast protection with Brooklyn’s various elected officers at each stage of presidency — from our legislative leaders in Albany, to our Legal professional Basic, to trailblazing elected officers throughout our borough.
“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,” he continued, stating his personal secure dwelling life formed his success because the son of Jamaican immigrants.
“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 mentioned. “Suspending visa processing without a clear or functional alternative doesn’t just disrupt stability, it destroys families and harms everyone.”Cunningham mentioned the coverage impacts people who comply with the legislation and staff who contribute to New York’s financial system.
“It does not address undocumented immigration or improve enforcement outcomes: it just creates fear and uncertainty,” he mentioned. “As an Assembly Member and son of immigrants, I support the New York for All Act and the governor’s (Kathy Hochul) efforts to protect immigrant New Yorkers by limiting unnecessary ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) involvement at essential service providers.”Cunningham mentioned he and his colleagues are “working around the clock” within the State Legislature to make sure households have their rights protected, together with entry to extra important companies, as we take tangible actions to make sure New Yorkers stay with out concern.”
Cunningham’s Meeting colleague, Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, additionally instructed Caribbean Life: “As a daughter of Haitian immigrants representing one of many largest Caribbean communities within the US, the Trump administration’s suspension of visa processing actually hits dwelling.
“The select 75 countries on the suspension list are not arbitrary; it is outright discriminatory,” mentioned the chair of the Brooklyn Democratic Celebration, who represents the forty third Meeting District in Brooklyn.“I am deeply concerned that the consequences of this action may trigger the separation of many families in Brooklyn, home to some of the largest populations of immigrants,” Bichotte Hermelyn added.
The Trump administration introduced on Wednesday, Jan. 14, that it’s going to indefinitely freeze visa processing for 75 nations, together with many within the Caribbean.“The State Department will use its long-standing authority to deem ineligible potential immigrants who would become a public charge on the United States and exploit the generosity of the American people,” mentioned State Division Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott in a press release.
“Immigration from these 75 countries will be paused while the State Department reassesses immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits,” he added.Caribbean nations affected by the visa pause embody Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Notably absent from the listing are Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, and the Dominican Republic, which, reportedly, have been cooperating with Washington in its navy strikes within the area.Different nations on the listing for the visa pause are Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan and Yemen.
The State Division mentioned the freeze on the 75 nations will proceed till the division reassesses visa processing.
