American dream dashed - Risky border crossing ends in deportation

Three months ago, Carol* made the treacherous journey from Jamaica to the United States (US) by travelling through the Mexico-US border. She scraped together more than $500,000, abandoned everything she had in Jamaica and went in search of a better life.

The journey was brutal. Like countless others seeking illegal entry, she braved scorching heat, dehydration, starvation--and the looming threat of death. But for her, every hardship would have been worth it the moment she set foot on US soil. The American dream that she hoped would have been within reach was never attained.

"I went through the border three months ago and have been in detention since," she said, her voice laced with disappointment.

Carol was among 80 deportees who arrived in the island via the Norman Manley International Airport on Thursday. The flight, according to Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, "was in continuance of regular monthly arrangements previously in train".

Scores, if not hundreds, of Jamaicans are believed to have crossed over into the US in the past two years by travelling through the US-Mexico border. Persons like Carol normally book travel to Panama, then into Mexico where they pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to human-smuggling collaborators to get them to the US border.

Newly elected US president Donald Trump has vowed to crack down on illegal immigration and to deport undocumented immigrants, convicts and persons who are out of status to their countries. Johnson Smith said the new immigration enforcement measures "will result in an increased number of Jamaicans being repatriated", but stressed that there are several processes involved.

The minister noted that persons subject to deportation fall into different categories.

"Some individuals have been convicted of very serious criminal offences, including violent crimes, while others may have breached immigration laws but have otherwise been law-abiding residents engaged in productive employment," she said.

One of the deportees, Mark* who returned on Thursday told THE WEEKEND STAR that when he left the island in 2021, he had dreams of attending university and starting a career in technology. However, things did not go as planned as he found himself in conflict with the law.

"I started working at a restaurant so I could help with the school. I was working and there was an incident with an African who decided that he was going to put his hands on me," the involuntary returned man said.

"He then told a lie that I had cut him. I did have a weapon in my hand but he took it away from me and began cutting himself. I got charged and they wanted to give me 20 years [imprisonment], but the judge gave me 10 years' and one year suspended sentence, but I only served 10 months," he said.

As he stood waiting to be picked up by his relatives, Mark appeared undaunted, and expressed confidence that he will rebound from the setback.

"My dream is not shattered in any shape or form. Now that I am back home, I am just going to go harder. I am going to settle down, get a job and then go back to school. I will just be continuing with my life," he said.

* Not their real names.