KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC—The Jamaica government Wednesday urged nationals residing in the United States illegally to seek legal status if they want to benefit from a new immigration initiative announced by President Joe Biden this week.
“We encourage Jamaicans in the US to get guidance from attorneys as to their eligibility before engaging the process so that to ensure that when they do, there is a positive result,” Foreign Affairs Minister Kamina Johnson-Smith told reporters at the post-Cabinet news conference.
Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister Kamina Johnson Smith speaking at a news conference (CMC Photo)
On Tuesday, Biden said the new process will help certain noncitizen spouses and children apply for the lawful permanent residence status they are already eligible for without leaving the country.
“These actions will promote family unity and strengthen our economy, providing a significant benefit to the country and helping US citizens and their noncitizen family members stay together,” he said.
To be eligible, Biden said noncitizens must have resided in the United States for ten or more years as of June 17, 2024, and be legally married to a US citizen while satisfying all applicable legal requirements.
He said that, on average, those who are eligible for this process have resided in the US for 23 years.
The president said those approved after the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) case-by-case assessment of their application will be afforded three years to apply for permanent residency.
He said this action will protect about half a million spouses of US citizens and about 50,000 noncitizen children under 21 whose parent is married to a US citizen.
Johnson-Smith told reporters that the Jamaicans in the United States should explore their options.
“You may think that if you are in an irregular situation, you should not engage but get [legal] advice,” she said, insisting that such advice should not come from somebody on the corner.
“It is worth the investment,” she said, noting that Jamaica’s consulate and mission are also available to assist.
The Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister lauded Washington’s position, saying it is a step in a positive direction. It recognizes the contribution of the immigrant community to the growth and development of the United States.
Caribbean-American Democratic Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican parents, welcomed President Biden’s announcement, noting that “undocumented Americans have come to represent an irreplaceable element of our social and economic fabric.”
The representative for the predominantly Caribbean 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn said far too many immigrants have remained plagued by uncertainty surrounding their status.
“Thankfully, through the Biden-Harris administration’s historic action… we are on the humanitarian path forward,” Clarke said.
“For undocumented spouses of US citizens. Whose future in our nation is now secured, the many children living in mixed-status households who were at risk of losing a parent to deportation, and the countless other Americans who are proud to hold an undocumented person close to their hearts, the immediate and meaningful impact of this moment cannot be overstated,” she told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC).
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