Fifty-five Jamaicans are set to be deported from the United States on February 27, but contrary to circulating social media reports, Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke is not among them, according to a Gleaner report.
Coke, who was described as a Jamaican drug lord and leader of the Shower Posse, is currently serving a 23-year sentence in a U.S. prison following his 2010 extradition and conviction in a New York court. He is slated for release in 2029, and U.S. authorities have given no indication of an early release.
In a statement last month, Jamaica’s Foreign Affairs Minister Kamina Johnson Smith said there are ongoing monthly arrangements with the U.S. for the deportation of Jamaicans. She also dispelled speculation of a surge despite the Trump administration’s continued crackdown on undocumented migrants.
Last month, over 50 Jamaicans were deported from the United States.
In her previous remarks, Minister Johnson Smith urged those concerned about their immigration status to seek professional legal advice. “The Jamaican Embassy in Washington, along with our Consulates-General in New York and Miami, have compiled contact information for attorneys with a track record of assisting members of our diaspora. These lists, while not exhaustive, will be available on the relevant websites in very short order.”
Meanwhile, the Dominica government has confirmed that at least 104 Dominican nationals living illegally in the US have been identified for deportation. Data from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) indicates that, as of November 2024, over 90,000 Caribbean nationals are among the 1.4 million noncitizens ordered deported but still residing in the United States.
ICE records show deportation orders for individuals across the Caribbean. Among them are 104 Dominican nationals — the same number now facing imminent deportation.
This has raised concerns about whether the 5,120 Jamaicans currently on the deportation list will also face removal in the near future. Jamaica ranked fourth on the list in terms of the number of individuals ordered for deportation behind Cuba: 42,084, Haiti: 32,363, the and Dominican Republic: 12,699.
