1,268 J’cans deported from US

About 5,000 undocumented J'cans said in United States

BY HAROLD BAILEY Observer writer

Thursday, January 27, 2011

NEW YORK, United States — A total of 1,268 Jamaicans were deported by United States authorities last year, continuing a downward trend since 2008 when the number totalled 1,603 followed by 1,480 in 2009.

Clifford Chambers, the security attaché at the Jamaican Embassy in Washington, said in an interview that more than 300 other Jamaicans have exhausted deportation proceedings and have been given final removal orders, while orders are pending against another 488.

According to Jamaica's Consul General to New York Geneive Brown-Metzger, the number of Jamaicans in custody here is posing "a serious challenge for the Jamaican consulate".

She said her office has been "forced to quadruple the number of visits to detention and other centres where these nationals are held".

Brown-Metzger, who was speaking against the background of concerns among the Diaspora about the work being done by the consulate, said her office — like other sections of the Jamaican Government — "has been forced to operate with a reduced budget and staff".

Meanwhile, Chambers pointed out that many of those deported "have not committed what would be considered a serious crime", rather the majority were guilty of "overstaying their entry permits".

He said some people have been deported for drug-related offences and, in a few cases, murder.

United States authorities, meanwhile, estimate that there are about 5,000 undocumented Jamaicans in the country. But Chambers said that the figure is difficult to confirm.

He said that persons who have entered the US legally, but for whom there are no records of departure would fall in that category.

That, he pointed out, does not mean they are still here as there are instances where the official document, known as an I-94, which would confirm departure from the country may not have been processed.

Chambers said that Jamaican authorities here continue to work closely with their US counterparts on immigration and deportation matters.

— Harold Bailey can be reached at gandhihgj365@yahoo.com

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COMMENTS (10)

gary lee
1/27/2011

I believe the laws concerning overstaying in the US are very harsh, as well as for some minor offenses, and need to be lobbied against by our diplomats. As for @John Christian's comment "unfortunate country" referring to Jamaica; we have to maintain our self-respect in the face of challenges and adversity. Jamaicans are a great people in many ways.

Isaac Riley Jr.
1/27/2011

Great ... more criminal minds socialized & acclimated to higher forms of criminality (every 32 minutes a murder is committed in the US) to wreak havoc on an ill-equipped JA security force.
Re undocumented business: in grad school a Native American had this sticker on the back of his Pathfinder: "Now that you have seen the country, go home". If only Native Americans had immigration laws ... nuff said.

ann g
1/27/2011

As a Jamaican born dual citizen myself, i am tempted to believe that most if not all of these deportations are based on racism..

MP Ricardo
1/27/2011

I am a JA born dual citizen. You should really si di example some of our fellow Jamaicans set here in NY. Some ah dem really give us a bad name. But I am sure Americans give itself a bad name sameway worldwide with wars etc. I am glad that there will be no dippin of me. I will just haffi tough it out in prison if I do anything wrong. 14th Amendment tell me dat from long time. Big up unoo self still. I would love to see everyone mek it to USA. Cause as far as I am concerned America naw seh nuttin

Cindy Lee
1/27/2011

If u have overstayed in a foreign country u have committed a crime against their laws. So while it's not murder, theft etc it is still a crime, & it's their country so they can boot u if they wish. Moral of this story is, we, & other immigrants need to stop overstay, or committing other crimes in foreign countries.

Junior Max
1/27/2011

Illegals beware. My buddy was home on a Saturday morning when he got a call from work to come in for a meeting. When he got there, there were 2 immigration officers waiting for him in the conference room. Didn't hear from him until 3 months later when he was back in Ja. Also, he has a 5 yr old American citizen son. They coming to get you, criminal or not.

ann g
1/27/2011

@ Unfortunate country? ??????????

robert chang
1/27/2011

The same thing has been happening in the uk for decades, and now recently it has gotten even worse. The uk immigration officials would dress in plain clothes and go to all the areas populated with working jamaicans, order the business owners to close their business for a few hrs while they check if the jamaicans are eligible to work, if not the van with a barage of police are there to escort them to deportation unit. they even block and harrass jamaicans shopping in certain areas.

John Christian
1/27/2011

America chasing those crazy baldheads out...once again based on our population we lead the world in deportees from the USA...unfortunate statistics for an unfortunate Country.

Dana Gale
1/27/2011

While it is hard to see my fellow Jamaicans be deported I do agree with the US especially for those who come to the US and just act like hooligans and make it bad for those who really want to make something of themself. The criminals should be deported but to an island made especially for criminals. These deportees are the ones who are tearing Jamaica apart. What I have seen here is that the illegal Jamaicans always hanging out with other illegals that is why they get caught most of the time.

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1,268 J’cans deported from US