Deportees hope for way back to the US

More than 70 persons turned out at the deportation seminar held at the Duhaney Park Community Centre in St Andrew last Saturday to see if they may be eligible to return to the US.

Head of the Jamaica Diaspora and Deportation Immigration Prevention Task Force, attorney Joan Pinnock, said at least five of those in attendance have a fair chance of returning 'home'.

"This is actually the third one (seminar) that we have done in Jamaica. We have had a lot of success in the past. We have led three persons back to the United States. On this trip, I was able to identify five persons who are eligible to return as citizens. There were also four other men who could come back but not as citizens. Their convictions were in the '70s and '80s, so we should be able to get something done for them," she said.

Pinnock told The STAR that sometimes deportees opt to sign the deportation forms instead of fighting the system.

"Some of the stories were just really sad because a lot of these gentlemen, what they did was just sign themselves out when they were finished with their criminal sentence instead of fighting the immigration deportation system. They just got sick of being in jail, so they just signed documentation to be deported to Jamaica," she said.

The attorney stated that the majority of the deportees that she interviewed were convicted of drug charges.

TRAFFICKING DRUGS

She added that she was extremely frank with the deportees as it relates to their chances of getting back into the US.

"Probably just one or two of them were convicted of other crimes, but none of them were for murder. I remember telling one gentleman who was convicted of trafficking drugs that there was no way he would be returned to the States. On top of that, he tried to go back to the country illegally, " she said.

She stated that once contacted, she will begin the necessary paperwork to start the process of having them successfully return to the US to reunite with their families.

She also implores Jamaicans and other Caribbean nationals to desist from getting involved in illegal activities, which will heighten their chances of being thrown out of the country.

"No matter how hard life gets, nuh bother go try sell drugs or get on the wrong side of the law. It is Donald Trump time that we are living in and it's a whole different world. There is no second chance with this government. You get convicted, you will get deported," she said.