Haitian TPS – US House Advances TPS Protection Bill For Haitians
BY NAN STAFF WRITER
News Americas, WASHINGTON, D.C., Thurs. April 16, 2026: A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers has taken a major step toward protecting Haitian nationals from deportation, advancing legislation that could extend Temporary Protected Status, (TPS), to an estimated 350,000 Haitians living in the United States.
The measure, H.R. 1689, was brought to the House floor through a rare discharge petition signed by members of both political parties, forcing a vote on the bill despite initial leadership resistance. The bill would designate TPS for Haitian nationals, allowing them to remain in the United States amid ongoing instability and dangerous conditions in Haiti.
The American Immigration Lawyers Association, (AILA), welcomed the move, calling it a significant example of bipartisan cooperation on immigration. “This bipartisan action reflects the very best of what Congress can do, which is to put aside politics and come together to protect vulnerable people from being sent back to life-threatening conditions,” said Ben Johnson, executive director of AILA.
Johnson emphasized that Haiti continues to face severe challenges, and returning nationals under current conditions would be both dangerous and inconsistent with U.S. humanitarian values. He also noted the critical role Haitian TPS holders play in the U.S. economy, particularly in essential sectors such as healthcare, construction, hospitality, and food processing.
If the legislation passes the Senate, TPS protections for Haitians could be extended through 2029, offering stability to thousands of families.
Several Republican lawmakers were among those supporting the discharge petition, including Don Bacon, Brian Fitzpatrick, Carlos Gimenez, Mike Lawler, Nicole Malliotakis and Maria Elvira Salazar, among others.
AILA also highlighted advocacy efforts behind the push, noting that hundreds of its members traveled to Washington, D.C. this week as part of its National Day of Action to urge lawmakers to maintain protections for Haitian nationals. The organization said it will continue to push for immigration policies that reflect compassion, fairness, and the realities facing vulnerable populations.
The vote marks a rare moment of bipartisan alignment on immigration and could signal broader momentum for similar measures in Congress.
RELATED: Haiti TPS Update 2026: What Haitians In The U.S. Should Know
COMMENTARY: The High Cost of Outsourcing Deportations To Africa
By Felicia J. Persaud
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Weds. April 15, 2026: At a time when Americans are facing cuts to healthcare and rising costs for food, gas, and basic goods, a recent U.S. Senate report reveals something deeply contradictory: millions of taxpayer dollars are being paid for deportations to Africa and other foreign nations, forcing them to take in immigrant deportees who are not their own.
According to a report released recently by U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen, Chris Coons, Chris Murphy, Tim Kaine, Jeff Merkley, Cory Booker, Chris Van Hollen, Tammy Duckworth, and Jacky Rosen, the Trump administration has spent more than $32 million on so-called “third country deportation” deals – sending migrants to countries they have no connection to.
Among the recipients are Rwanda, Equatorial Guinea, and Eswatini – African nations now central to a controversial system raising serious economic, ethical, and geopolitical concerns.
The numbers are staggering.
In one of the most extreme cases, the administration paid Rwanda $7.5 million, plus an estimated $601,864 in flight costs, to accept just seven people – roughly $1.1 million per deportee.
Equatorial Guinea received $7.5 million to take 29 individuals, at an estimated $282,126 per person.
Eswatini was paid $5.1 million to accept 15 people.
This is not just immigration policy. This is outsourcing deportation at premium prices. And it is happening with countries that raise serious governance concerns.
Equatorial Guinea ranks 172 out of 182 countries on the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index, placing it among the most corrupt nations globally.
Eswatini ranks 153rd out of 182 countries, with a score of just 23 out of 100, reflecting rising public sector corruption.
Rwanda, by contrast, ranks 41st least corrupt globally, with a score of 58 out of 100, making it one of the stronger performers in sub-Saharan Africa.
Yet, according to the Senate report, there is little to no oversight on how U.S. taxpayer funds are used once transferred. Even more troubling is how inefficient – and at times absurd – this system has become.
In some cases, the United States is paying twice to deport the same individual. One example cited in the report involved a Jamaican national who was deported to Eswatini at a cost of more than $181,000, only to be flown back to Jamaica weeks later – again at U.S. expense.
The Jamaican government made it clear: “The Government has not refused the return of any of our nationals.”
That directly contradicts the administration’s claim that third-country deportations are necessary because home countries refuse to accept their citizens. So, what is really driving this policy?
The Department of Homeland Security has argued that some migrants are “so uniquely barbaric that their own countries won’t take them back.”
But the data – and even internal accounts – suggest something else: a costly system designed less for efficiency and more for deterrence. Or as one lawmaker put it bluntly: “We spent so much of last year hearing about how we have to cut waste… but we are spending millions of dollars on this.”
Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was even more direct: “For an Administration that claims to be reining in fraud, waste and abuse, this policy is the epitome of all three.”
And that may be the most important takeaway. Because this is not just about immigration. It is about how policy is being executed – through opaque deals, questionable partners, and significant US taxpayer expense – with little accountability and even less transparency.
It is also about what happens when human beings become bargaining chips in international agreements, sent to countries they have never known, with uncertain protections and unclear futures. For African nations now drawn into this system, the implications are equally serious – raising questions about sovereignty, responsibility, and the long-term cost of participating in what is effectively a global deportation network.
At its core, this policy raises an uncomfortable question: why are African nations agreeing to take in Black and brown migrants who are not their own, in exchange for millions? Because when human movement begins to follow money instead of law, it forces us to confront a history we claim to have left behind.
Felicia J. Persaud is the founder and publisher of NewsAmericasNow.com, the only daily syndicated newswire and digital platform dedicated exclusively to Caribbean Diaspora and Black immigrant news across the Americas.
RELATED: Sinners, Vampires, Nicki Minaj & Trump
Who Gets To Belong? Birthright Citizenship Case Could Redefine Who Belongs In America
By Felicia J. Persaud
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Thurs. April 16, 2026: The U.S. Supreme Court is now hearing a case that could redefine one of the most fundamental truths about America: who gets to belong in what is being dubbed the birthright citizenship case. At stake is birthright citizenship – the constitutional guarantee that if you are born in the United States, you are American. But this is not just a legal debate. It is a test of whether history is repeating itself.
Last week, the Court heard arguments in a case challenging an executive order signed in 2025 that seeks to deny citizenship to children born in the United States to undocumented immigrants or those on temporary visas. The order, already blocked by multiple lower courts, attempts to reinterpret the 14th Amendment – a move legal experts widely argue cannot be done by executive action alone.
Because birthright citizenship is not a policy. It is a constitutional guarantee.
Enshrined in the 14th Amendment in 1868, birthright citizenship was designed to settle a question the nation had once answered disastrously wrong: whether Black people born in the United States were citizens at all.
The amendment overturned the infamous Dred Scott decision of 1857, which declared that Black people “had no rights which the white man was bound to respect.” It was a direct response to exclusion – a deliberate effort to ensure that citizenship could not be denied based on race, origin, or parentage.
But Black Americans were not the only people denied belonging. Native Americans – the first people of this land – were also excluded from citizenship for decades. It was not until the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 that Indigenous people were formally recognized as U.S. citizens – long after the country had been built on their land.
In other words, birthright citizenship was never just about immigration. It was about equality – and who gets to decide who belongs. And yet, here we are again.
At the center of this case is not just a constitutional argument, but a human story. The lead plaintiff, identified only as “Barbara,” is a Honduran asylum seeker living in New Hampshire. She fled gang violence with her family and is now fighting to ensure that her unborn child – a baby who would be born on U.S. soil — is recognized as American.
Her case raises a profound question: if a child is born here but denied citizenship, what are they? The implications are far-reaching.
If the executive order were allowed to take effect, babies born in the United States to non-citizen parents – including those here legally on work visas or under temporary protections – could be denied citizenship at birth. These children would exist in legal limbo, creating what many legal experts warn would become a permanent, multi-generational subclass of people born in America but not recognized as belonging to it.
The American Civil Liberties Union, representing the plaintiffs, has made it clear: the Constitution does not allow the government to pick and choose which children born on U.S. soil are citizens.
That is not just a legal shift. That is a structural one.
For more than a century, the Supreme Court has affirmed birthright citizenship, including in the landmark case United States v. Wong Kim Ark, which confirmed that children born on U.S. soil are citizens regardless of their parents’ immigration status.
That precedent has held – through wars, waves of immigration, and political change. Until now.
Supporters of the executive order argue that the Constitution’s phrase “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” should be interpreted more narrowly – excluding children of undocumented immigrants and temporary visa holders.
But critics warn that such an interpretation is not only historically unsupported, but dangerous. Because once a government begins deciding which children qualify for citizenship and which do not, it opens the door to redefining belonging itself.
And that has never ended well.
From slavery to Reconstruction to the civil rights era – and even in the delayed recognition of Native Americans – the United States has repeatedly struggled with the question of who counts as fully American.
Each time, the answer has shaped the nation’s moral and legal foundation. This moment is no different.
Because once a nation starts deciding which children are worthy of citizenship, it is no longer debating immigration – it is redefining equality itself.
Felicia J. Persaud is the founder and publisher of NewsAmericasNow.com, the only daily syndicated newswire and digital platform dedicated exclusively to Caribbean Diaspora and Black immigrant news across the Americas.
RELATED: 11 Immigrants Now Dead In ICE Custody In 2026 As Questions Mount Over Care and Release Practices
Hard To Beat Season 5 Podcast Blends Music, Business, Tips And Caribbean Identity
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Weds. April 15, 2026: The Hard To Beat podcast has officially returned with its fifth season, introducing a new format that blends original music, business, and Caribbean identity into a single platform aimed at immigrant entrepreneurs.
Hosted by Caribbean immigrant entrepreneur and journalist Felicia J. Persaud, the podcast opens its new season with an original anthem that sets the tone for what listeners can expect going forward. Described as a fusion of spoken word, Caribbean soul and original music, the new season aims to connect with entrepreneurs navigating the journey from early hustle to long-term success.
Season 5 marks a shift in direction for the podcast, with a stronger focus on delivering practical strategies, investment insights and business education tailored to Caribbean and diaspora audiences.
The format combines storytelling with actionable advice, positioning the show as both a motivational and educational resource for listeners seeking to build and scale their ventures.
From New York City to the Caribbean, the podcast explores the realities of entrepreneurship across borders, highlighting the challenges and opportunities faced by immigrant founders.
Persaud, who has built a career spanning media, advocacy and investment, said the new season is designed for those who are still actively working toward their goals.
The podcast’s tagline – “For Those Still In The Game” – reflects its focus on resilience and long-term commitment in business. With its blend of music and business content, Hard To Beat is carving out a distinct space in the growing podcast landscape, offering a culturally grounded perspective on entrepreneurship and investment.
Season 5 is now available on major streaming platforms. Listen here and follow.
RELATED: The Caribbean’s Question For Washington: Where Is the Economic Offer?
Haitian TPS Debate Intensifies After Violent Florida Killing
News Americas, FORT MYERS, FL, Tues. April 14, 2026: A violent killing in Fort Myers, Florida, involving a Haitian immigrant has intensified scrutiny of the Temporary Protected Status, (TPS) program as the issue heads toward a critical legal battle in the United States.
Authorities say Rolbert Joachin, 40, who entered the US via a smuggling operation, is accused of killing a Bangladeshi immigrant woman on april 3rd at a Chevron gas station on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The victim, identified as Nilufa Easmin, also known as Yasmin, was reportedly a mother of two teenage daughters.
Law enforcement officials confirmed that Joachin’s Temporary Protected Status has been revoked, clearing the way for his deportation to Haiti following the case. According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Joachin entered the United States in August 2022 via boat, and was later issued a final order of removal that same year. However, he was subsequently granted Temporary Protected Status in 2023, which expired in 2024.
Authorities say U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement assisted local police in locating Joachin earlier this month after a request from the Fort Myers Police Department. Investigators allege that Joachin targeted the victim and carried out the attack using a hammer. Surveillance footage reportedly captured the incident, which has drawn national attention.
Police say Joachin admitted to deliberately damaging the victim’s vehicle to lure her outside before attacking her. He was taken into custody after being read his rights in Creole and English, authorities said.
The case has quickly taken on national significance, as it intersects with the broader debate over immigration policy and protections for migrants. President Donald Trump has pointed to the incident as part of his call for stricter immigration enforcement, including ending TPS protections. The program is currently under review, with implications for an estimated 350,000 Haitians living in the United States.
Temporary Protected Status allows nationals from designated countries experiencing conflict or disaster to live and work in the U.S. temporarily. Critics argue it has evolved into a long-term protection mechanism, while supporters say it remains a critical humanitarian safeguard.
Immigration advocates warn that high-profile cases such as this risk shaping public perception and policy outcomes, particularly as legal challenges surrounding TPS move toward the U.S. Supreme Court. Executive Director Guerline Jozef of the Haitian Bridge Alliance stated: “Our hearts are with the family of the victim during this unimaginably painful time. We condemn this act of violence in the strongest possible terms. But we must also be clear: one individual’s actions do not define an entire people. The exploitation of this tragedy to demonize Haitian immigrants and dismantle humanitarian protections is both unjust and deeply harmful. Haitian TPS holders and immigrant families in the United States are workers, caregivers, students, and neighbors. They deserve dignity, protection, and policies grounded in truth – not fear.”
HBA called on elected officials and public leaders to exercise restraint, accuracy, and compassion in addressing matters of public safety and immigration. Amplifying graphic violence and linking it to entire populations fuels division, perpetuates racial bias, violence and distracts from meaningful solutions.
While Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO, New York Immigration Coalition added: “The tragic situation that happened in Florida should not be used to demonize entire communities or dismantle protections that thousands of families rely on to live safely and work legally under programs like Temporary Protected Status. The escalating rhetoric from the Trump administration fuels this harm by distorting individual incidents into justification for broad, punitive policy changes that scapegoats all immigrants and puts a target on their backs. Trump has repeatedly shown that he will seize on any case to dismantle legal pathways, strip protections, and expand a deportation machine that operates with little accountability or regard for due process. We must uphold and strengthen TPS as a critical lifeline grounded in humanitarian protection, ensure everyone has access to due process, and reject any effort to weaponize isolated cases to justify policies that put entire communities at risk.”
The outcome of the case – both legally and politically – could have far-reaching consequences for Haitian migrants and the broader Caribbean diaspora in the United States.
RELATED: Haiti TPS Update 2026: What Haitians In The U.S. Should Know
Jaii Frais Under Police Guard In Hospital, Jahvy Ambassador In Custody After Three Shot At Carnival Party
Podcaster Jhaedee “Jaii Frais” Richards is in hospital under police guard, and Dancehall producer and manager Jahvel “Jahvy Ambassador” Morrison is in police custody after three people were shot during the Big Wall Revolution carnival party on Sunday night at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre in St Andrew.
Caribbean Gas Prices Surge As Global Energy Crisis Intensifies
By NAN Business Editor
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Mon. April 13, 2026: A global energy shock triggered by the war in the Middle East and no US-Iran peace deal is now driving Caribbean gas prices higher and raising concerns about transportation, travel, and the broader cost of living.
The price hike stems from disruptions to the global liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply chain, including reported damage to infrastructure in Qatar, a key global exporter. The fallout has flipped energy markets from expected oversupply to shortages, pushing prices up by nearly 80 percent.
For Caribbean nations heavily dependent on imported fuel, the impact is immediate and severe. Fuel prices across the region are now above $5 per gallon in most countries, with some territories exceeding $7, according to the latest data.
Belize and Barbados currently have the highest prices, at $7.27 and $7.02 per gallon respectively. Other countries facing steep costs include Haiti at $5.53, the Bahamas at $5.54, and Jamaica at $5.14.
Even traditionally lower-cost markets are feeling the pressure. Trinidad and Tobago stands at $4.34, while Suriname is at $4.88 and Cuba at $4.90.
Oil rich Guyana remains the only Caribbean nation where fuel prices are below $4, with consumers paying approximately $3.51 per gallon, reflecting its status as an oil-producing country.
Transport Systems Under Pressure
The surge is already disrupting transportation systems. In St. Kitts and Nevis, fuel prices have reached EC $19.60 per gallon or USD 5.47, pushing the country toward a potential $20 threshold. Ferry operators are beginning to shut down services as operating costs climb.
The MV Mark Twain has announced a temporary suspension of operations from April 15th, joining other vessels already halting service. Operators cite a 35 percent increase in fuel costs as unsustainable. Public frustration is rising as transport options shrink and prices climb.
Air Travel Set To Get More Expensive
The aviation sector is also feeling the strain. Regional carrier, Caribbean Airlines, has already introduced a fuel surcharge of $15 to $25 on tickets purchased from April 10 onward. The move follows a dramatic surge in global jet fuel prices, which have nearly doubled in recent weeks.
Data from the International Air Transport Association shows jet fuel prices rising to $195.19 per barrel, up 96.4 percent from the previous month. Fuel now accounts for about 50 percent of airline operating costs. Industry experts warn that higher ticket prices are inevitable as airlines attempt to offset rising expenses.
Demand Falling As Prices Rise
Globally, high prices are already beginning to reduce demand. Asian markets are cutting LNG imports, with some countries reverting to coal, raising concerns about long-term energy transitions.
For the Caribbean, however, limited alternatives mean consumers and governments have few options but to absorb the rising costs. Some governments, including those in Antigua and the Bahamas, have introduced relief measures such as subsidies and tax adjustments. Others have yet to respond, leaving citizens to bear the full impact.
Growing Economic Pressure
The rising cost of fuel is expected to ripple across Caribbean economies, increasing transportation costs, raising food prices, and putting additional strain on households. As global energy markets remain volatile, the region faces continued uncertainty in the months ahead.
RELATED: Caribbean Business News: Companies Earning Billions Globally
Church And Politics In The Caribbean And Africa: Prophetic Voice, Public Trust, And The Moral Future Of Nations
By Dr. Isaac Newton
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Sun. April 12, 2026: The relationship between church and politics in the Caribbean and Africa is not an academic exercise. It is a lived moral condition shaping governance, public trust, and the daily realities of citizens. In societies where faith communities remain among the most trusted institutions, the central question is not whether the church belongs in public life, but whether it will remain present with clarity, courage, and conscience or retreat into a silence that others will inevitably fill.
The phrase separation of church and state is often invoked as a call for religious absence from public discourse. Yet in its original constitutional intent, it was designed to protect freedom of conscience and prevent state domination of religious life. It was never meant to produce moral vacancy in civic space. When misinterpreted, it does not create neutrality. It creates a public square where values still operate but are no longer consciously examined. Silence does not remove morality from society. It simply relocates its authorship.
The biblical tradition presents a very different model. It does not depict faith as withdrawn from public life but as deeply engaged with it. Prophets addressed systems without apology. Moral leaders confronted authority without fear. Truth consistently entered the public sphere as responsibility rather than preference. This trajectory reaches its most complete expression in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, who challenged hypocrisy, defended the marginalized, and redefined greatness as service. His engagement was never partisan, yet it was always public. It did not seek political power, but it continuously reshaped the moral imagination through which power is judged.
This distinction is decisive for understanding the role of the church. The church is not called to political alignment or institutional control. It is called to prophetic responsibility. Prophetic voice is not the pursuit of influence. It is the preservation of moral clarity in the presence of power. It does not ask which side to support. It asks what is true, what is just, and what is consistent with human dignity. When this distinction is lost, the church either becomes silent in the name of peace or partisan in the name of relevance. Both represent a weakening of its deeper calling.
In Caribbean and African contexts, the hesitation of the church to engage public issues cannot be reduced to indifference. It is shaped by historical experience, political sensitivity, and institutional caution. Churches have witnessed the consequences of political entanglement, the fragility of public unity, and the risks of misinterpretation. Yet prolonged caution carries its own cost. Withdrawal from moral discourse does not preserve influence. It transfers it. When the church grows silent, it does not stop shaping society. It simply stops shaping it intentionally.
This reality is visible in the lived experiences of citizens who navigate systems marked by inequality, institutional strain, and uneven accountability. In many of these societies, the church remains a primary reservoir of trust. Yet trust without translation into public moral engagement creates a quiet dissonance. People respect the voice of the church, but often struggle to see how that voice speaks to the structures that shape their lives. Over time, this gap between trust and visible moral presence risks becoming a form of silent disillusionment rather than open rejection.
The way forward is not greater political alignment but greater moral intelligence. Churches must cultivate moral literacy that helps communities interpret public life through ethical clarity rather than partisan emotion. They must develop civic courage that enables leaders to speak truth without fear of being politically categorized. They must also protect institutional independence so that their witness remains credible, free, and uncaptured. These are not organizational strategies. They are moral disciplines required for faithful public presence.
Ultimately, the future of the church in the Caribbean and Africa will not be determined by whether it engages politics, but by whether it understands its responsibility within public life. Societies are not strengthened by the absence of faith from public discourse. They are strengthened by the presence of moral clarity within it. Influence is not the goal. Faithfulness is. Yet faithfulness, when embodied with courage and wisdom, inevitably becomes influence.
The deeper question is therefore not whether the church should speak. It is whether silence can ever be considered neutral in a world where injustice, inequality, and power are constantly speaking. Silence may appear cautious. It may even feel peaceful. But it is never without consequence. It always shapes the moral direction of society by what it leaves unchallenged.