Dear Editor,
The Trump Administration is pausing immigrant (not visitor) visa processing for all of the Anglophone Caricom countries except Guyana and T&T the Dominican Republic and Suriname have also been exempted. Altogether, some 75 countries (almost all third world) have been put on a list in what the Department of State, in charge of visa issuance, said on January 14 is an effort “to crack down on immigrant applicants deemed likely to become a public charge” (meaning they will depend on public assistance). Studies show that more American-born people than immigrants receive public assistance.
Media houses report that the immigrant visa “pause will begin Jan. 21 and will continue indefinitely until the department conducts a reassessment of immigrant visa processing”.
FOX News reports that a “State Department memo directs consular officers to refuse visas under existing law while the department reassesses screening and vetting procedures.”
Last week, the Administration put out a list of countries with the percentage of their immigrants in the USA on public assistance. Almost all Caricom countries had about the same percentage, with the DR’s much higher than countries on the sanctioned list of 75. Yet DR, T&T, Guyana, and Suriname have not been penalised on immigrant visa issuance. It is known that Guyana has signed a defence agreement with Washington, and T&T under Kamla is supportive of President Trump. DR is seeking to “strengthen defence relationships” with Washington, and Suriname is open to oil investment. Could it be that those four countries are not on the list because they have been supportive of President Trump’s action in Venezuela? Support for Trump on Venezuela varies by nation, with some countries openly aligning with US actions and others expressing concern over perceived interventionism. They criticised Trump’s approach, viewing it as a continuation of US interventionism and a threat to regional stability. There are reports that Grenada turned down a request for an American radar station. If so, bad decision! A nation must think of its interests. The other Caricom countries, plus Brazil, Colombia, etc., opposed military strikes on narco boats, were critical of Trump’s intervention to remove Maduro, and are in the list. Chile and Argentina, with around the same percentage as Caricom of its migrants on public assistance in the USA, both supportive of Trump, are not on the list. Countries supportive of USA regional strategy appeared to be spared of sanctions; that is the nature of transactional politics.
Caribbean leaders, with the four noted exceptions, not their people, were opposed to Trump’s actions. But the people are being penalised for the position of political leaders who have failed to understand geopolitics, the Monroe Doctrine, and the national security interests of the USA. The leaders’ visas have not been suspended. Last year, Caricom leaders talked tough, saying that they would rather surrender their American visa than bow to the USA. So far, none have returned their American visa. The people have become victims.
Caricom leaders were very critical of T&T PM Kamla and President Ali for supporting Trump’s strikes on narco boats and military intervention in Venezuela to remove Maduro. In retrospect, the leaders of Guyana and T&T acted strategically and diplomatically wisely in supporting President Trump on Venezuela. If Kamla and President Ali had not supported Trump, those two countries could well have been added to the list of 75. The leaders did the right thing; they listened to the views of the population who were and remain supportive of Trump’s actions in Venezuela. The public in both countries, except for the small number of leftists, are pleased to rid Venezuela of an authoritarian ruler who had threatened T&T and Guyana. Support for Trump is notably high in Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago and among their diaspora in the USA for removing Maduro because he threatened Guyana and TT. Kamla signed an agreement to place a radar station in Tobago and to enhance military cooperation with the USA and the deployment of American military equipment and personnel in TT.
Maduro deserves to be removed from office for the threats posed to neighbours and the region. While removing Maduro serves American foreign policy, the action has made the T&T and Guyana region safer and more stable. Maduro had threatened both countries. And he has been anti-American and China-centric as well as Russia-centric, adversaries of the USA. The region remains a zone of peace.
Aren’t Trinis and Guyanese pleased that their leaders openly supported Trump? They could have been denied immigrant visas otherwise. Being pro-USA has not only helped Guyana and T&T on national security but also on the matter of visa issuance.
Separately, Washington announced a few days ago that up to 200 immigrant citizens will be denaturalised every month. Those critical of American foreign policy and anti-American will likely be targeted. Guyana and T&T support for Washington may help naturalised Americans from Guyana and T&T. Alignment with US security initiatives is beneficial to a country’s interests. Aren’t other Caricom countries ruing their decision on Venezuela?