Melissa’s fury sparks demand for temporary protection for J’cans in US
Published:Tuesday | November 18, 2025 | 12:09 AMKimone Francis/Senior Staff Reporter
New York Attorney General Letitia James has called on the Trump administration to extend its Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Jamaicans in the wake of the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa.
The Category 5 storm killed at least 45 people and displaced hundreds of thousands when it barrelled through western Jamaica on October 28.
James, in a letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Monday, urged the administration to immediately grant TPS to Jamaicans, allowing those who are eligible in the United States and are unable to return to the island to safely live and work in the US with legal status.
The US has previously granted TPS to immigrants from countries such as Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Nepal following similar natural disasters.
“Hurricane Melissa has caused unimaginable damage to our neighbours in Jamaica, displacing tens of thousands of people, destroying vital infrastructure, and severely limiting access to basic necessities,” said James.
“Forcing Jamaicans in the United States to return home to a devastated island would be dangerous and cruel. Situations like this are exactly what TPS was intended for, and our federal government should extend TPS to Jamaicans to help keep people safe while the island rebuilds,” she added.
TPS is a US government programme that provides temporary protection from deportation to eligible individuals from designated countries facing conflict, environmental disaster, or other extraordinary conditions.
To qualify for TPS, you must be a national of the designated country and file within the deadline (or qualify for late filing). You must demonstrate continuous physical presence and continuous residence since the specified dates, with limited exceptions for brief, innocent departures.
James said the hurricane’s impact on Jamaica was catastrophic, noting that Melissa was the third-most intense Atlantic hurricane on record, hitting the island at its peak.
“Dozens of Jamaicans were killed, and others remain missing. The storm displaced tens of thousands of Jamaican households and caused widespread damage to the country’s infrastructure, including its water, transportation, and power systems. Recovery will likely take months, if not years,” she said.
“Congress has given the Executive Branch the power to grant humanitarian relief under circumstances such as these. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, the federal government may grant TPS to Jamaicans presently in the United States where, as here, ‘extraordinary and temporary conditions’ in Jamaica prevent its citizens from safely returning,” James added.
James said TPS is a critical humanitarian tool that ensures US’s immigration policy remains consistent with its long history of providing safe haven to those who flee armed conflict, natural disasters, and repressive conditions.
She pointed to $2 billion worth of property damage across the country and scores of communities where the majority of homes, schools, and stores have been destroyed.
At the same time, Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke said while Jamaica’s recovery efforts have already made significant strides in healing, it is critical for the United States to uphold its humanitarian commitments to it cherished Caribbean ally.
“Stopping the forceful expulsion of Jamaican nationals into dangerous, unsafe conditions while their nation continues its work towards healing is one such commitment. These are the precise moments for which Congress established Temporary Protected Status. We have a moral and diplomatic obligation to Jamaica not to make what is already a difficult situation even more painful for a country that has only been a friend to America since its founding,” she said.