BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS (February 26th 2017) – St. Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister, Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris remains silent on the expanded Donald Trump new immigration rules requiring deportation of undocumented Caribbean and other immigrants from the United States.
Dr. Harris, who invited former Republican Chairman, Michael Steele to be the guest speaker at his New Year’s Gala in January this year, has not stated his government’s position on the issue, despite several town hall meetings, a radio interview and a session of the St. Kitts and Nevis National Assembly.
Harris also stayed away from the recent 28th Inter-Sessional of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) held in Guyana.
CMC reported that a revised executive order, captioned “Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements,” Trump said that US federal immigration law both imposes the responsibility and provides the means for the federal government, in cooperation with the states, to secure the nation’s borders.
He said the purpose of the order is to “direct executive departments and agencies to deploy all lawful means to secure the nation’s southern border with Mexico, to prevent further illegal immigration into the United States, and to repatriate illegal aliens swiftly, consistently and humanely.”
The US president said the order includes returning Caribbean and other immigrants to their respective countries pending formal proceedings.
The order also directs the US Secretary of Homeland Security to hire an additional 5,000 border agents and to “empower state and local law enforcement to support federal enforcement of immigration law, to the maximum extent permitted by law, and to ensure that prosecution guidelines place a high priority on crimes.”
Last Friday, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency released a list detailing the offenses of 680 immigrants who were recently detained and slated for deportation, adding that 75 per cent had criminal convictions.
In the largely Caribbean community in Brooklyn, New York, rumours of immigration sweeps at a popular department store and a sprawling hospital, frequented by Caribbean nationals, spread like wildfire last week, prompting the intervention of a Caribbean American legislator.
New York City Council Member Jumaane D. Williams, the son of Grenadian immigrants, who represents the predominantly Caribbean 45th Council District in Brooklyn, told the Caribbean Media Corporation that he and his staffers have been following up on “the many rumours, as we can.”
Williams has been among the Caribbean community’s most vocal critics of the Trump’s administration immigration policies.
Caribbean American Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke had warned that the Trump travel ban would extend to the Caribbean. Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, represents the 9thCongressional District in Brooklyn.
Last weekend, Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders who attended the Guyana meeting at which Prime Minister Harris or a representative was absent, expressed concern that Trump’s immigration policies could result in a reduction of travel to the Caribbean.
“We must obviously be concerned with the recent issue related to immigration, and the impact it will have on our citizens and on tourism,” said Grenada’s Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell.
Photo 1 – St Kitts and Nevis Governor General Sir Tapley Seaton (left) Mr. Michael Steele (Center) and St. Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris (right) at Dr Harris’ New Year Gala
*This article was posted in its entirety as received by SKN PULSE. This media house does not correct any spelling or grammatical errors within press releases and (or) commentaries. The views contained within are not necessarily those of SKN PULSE.
