NEW YORK, USA — Several prominent members of the Jamaican community here have expressed opposition to the Government’s plan to enter a third-country nationals (TCNs) agreement with the United States.

Under the deal Jamaica will accept no more than 25 TCNs from the US over two-week intervals with the agreement paused once more than 10 are on the island.

But the issue is raising concerns among Jamaicans in the US with many calling for the Government to make public the full details including whatever benefits the country is likely to derive from the arrangements.

Third country removals send people that the US wants out of its territory to countries other than their own, even if people have never been there before, have no connections in the country, and don’t speak the language.

But Jamaica’s Minister of National Security Dr Horace Chang has indicated that Jamaica will insist that anyone coming to the island must speak English and have not been convicted of any crimes.

Some TCN agreements expressly mention financial payments. For example, the Government of Eswatini agreed to accept up to 160 TCNs removed from the US, in exchange for US$5.1 million, “to build its border and migration management capacity”.

The Government of Rwanda agreed to accept up to 250 TCNs from the US, in exchange for US$7.5 million, while media reports say the agreement between the US and Equatorial Guinea involves a US$7.5 million payment to the government of that country.

There is no indication from the Jamaican Government if there is a financial payment for the country for agreeing to accept TCNs.

In the Jamaican communities in the US the critics include prominent immigration attorney Winston Tucker who told the
Jamaica Observer that there are indications the plan is to be undertaken under a system which is known as a “Shadow Docket”.

“This is an emergency and summary order which is handled on an expedited basis to pause lower court injunctions and allow the United States Supreme Court rule on the matter,” said Tucker.

He said the last time he checked, on June 16, 2026, the matter had not yet been dealt with and transferring a country’s nationals to a third-party country was not previously permitted.

According to Tucker, Jamaica could find itself in a real bind should the US Supreme Court reject the system of transferring nationals to third countries.

“Hopefully the court will get to it before its current session ends, and if the court says no to the system, then where will Jamaica stand?” questioned Tucker.

He said he believes the leadership of Jamaica should stand for its principles.

“Communities in the US have stood up and reject similar situations and the question is why are these [people] not being returned straight to their own country,” added Tucker.

Wayne Golding, an attorney who is an expert on immigration matters, said he too was totally opposed to deal and charged that it could turn out be an untenable situation and is likely to become a burden on the Jamaican security system.

“I don’t know if it has been properly thought through, but it could be that Jamaica is taking on a social and legal issue that could lead to it walk into an ant’s nest if the plan materialises,” said Golding.

He said that there should be public consultation on the issue and that details of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Washington and Kingston should be released.

In registering his objection to the proposal, Dwight P Bailey, a New York-based former member of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, said the MOU should not have been considered in the first place.

Bailey also raised the question of security and where and how the TCNs will be housed.

The former cop said the question of what will happen should the countries to which the deportees are to be permanently returned refused them should be addressed.

Opposition to the MOU also came from Dr Reverend Marilyn Grant, founder of Connecticut-based Women for Christ Outreach Ministries, who described the decision by the Jamaican Government to enter into such an arrangement as absurd.

Dr Rupert Francis, who heads the Diaspora Task Force on Crime Intervention and Prevention, was also critical of the arrangement.

He said he does not believe that sufficient thought has gone into the matter.

Francis questioned whether Jamaica will be able to fully vet the TCNs and where they will be housed while in Jamaica.

“The question of what will happen if any of the deportees decide to apply for asylum during they stay in Jamaica [needs to be addressed],” said Francis.