Johnson Smith urges undocumented Jamaicans in US to get legal advice on new immigration rules
Published:Wednesday | June 19, 2024 | 12:23 PM
Jamaicans in the United States who want to benefit from new immigration rules announced by President Joe Biden are being urged to seek legal advice.
The policy aims to protect undocumented spouses of US citizens from deportation.
Biden announced Tuesday that his administration will, in coming months, allow US citizens' spouses without legal status to apply for permanent residency and eventually citizenship without having to first depart the country for up to 10 years.
About 500,000 immigrants may benefit, according to senior administration officials.
To qualify, an immigrant must have lived in the United States for 10 years and be married to a US citizen, both as of Monday, June 17.
Speaking this morning at a post-Cabinet media briefing at the 10th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference in St James, Jamaica's Foreign Affairs Minister Kamina Johnson-Smith said Jamaicans should explore their options.
“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,” she stated.
“You may think that if you are in an irregular situation you should not engage, but get [legal] advice,” she stressed, not from somebody on the corner.
“It is worth the investment,” she added, noting that Jamaica's consulate and mission stands ready to assist as well.
The policy will potentially safeguard hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants who have been married to US citizens for 10 years or more, offering them protection from deportation.
Lauding the move, Johnson Smith stated that this was a step in a positive direction, as it recognises the contribution of the immigrant community to the growth and development of the United States.
- Janet Silvera
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