Jamaicans in US illegally seeking to self-deport, says Ambassador Marks

Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States, Audrey Marks, says there has been an increase in the number of Jamaicans in the United States who are out of status who have been reaching out to the embassy seeking to return home.

“There has been no increase in deportations to Jamaica because of the Trump immigration policy. There is no big influx of deportees to Jamaica,” she said.

However, the Ambassador said that there has been an increase in the number of Jamaicans seeking to return home before being deported.

“Some people do not want the indignity of being deported, so where they are out of status, they are reaching out to take steps to return to Jamaica,” said the Ambassador.

She was speaking last night at the Let’s Connect Diaspora Town Hall meeting, where the topic of immigration was front and centre.

“There are persons voluntarily saying that they want to return home,” she said.

Marks stressed that there is a rigorous process to ensure that the people who are returned to Jamaica by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials are indeed Jamaicans.

“There are people who pretend to be Jamaicans, some go to the extent of getting Jamaican passports, and so we have to make sure that they are really Jamaicans,” she said.

To ensure that this is the case, ICE officers have to present to the embassy an authentic identification, and persons are then thoroughly screened before being given landing documents to Jamaica.

She further pointed out that the screening is a gradual process, as each circumstance is different and each case has to be reviewed.

At the same time, she said the Ministry of National Security has set up a process to screen people sent back to Jamaica by ICE.

Marks further pointed out that some Jamaicans who are in deportation proceedings and who are entitled to due process are waiving their right to such due process so that they can return to Jamaica, although she said that she did not have the details.

“Not everyone who is deported has committed a crime, and so we have to be careful how we assess them,” she said.

Since the stepped-up enforcement to remove people in the United States who are out of status, there has been some panic, according to the Ambassador, but she urged calm.

According to the Ambassador, about 60 per cent of Jamaicans who enter the United States legally but overstay are difficult to get on ICE’s radar.

The Ambassador pointed out that Jamaicans who come in and are working, although out of status and unable to regularise their status but want to leave with dignity, should be allowed to do so.

Jamaican missions throughout the United States have a list of attorneys whom Jamaicans can contact for information, she said.

At the same time, Zoom meetings are being held by various community groups as well as honorary consulates to educate people about their rights.

Brooklyn Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, whose parents are Jamaican, has posted notices advising people of their rights should they be confronted by ICE officers.

Jamaicans are also being advised to ensure that they have valid identification with them in the event they encounter ICE officers.

Some 56 Jamaicans were returned to the island on Thursday by ICE.

- Lester Hinds

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