New York Attorney General Letitia James is calling on the federal government to grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Jamaicans in the United States, arguing that the scale of destruction left by Hurricane Melissa has made the island unsafe for return.
In a letter sent Monday to the Department of Homeland Security, James urged the administration to move “immediately” on the designation. TPS would allow eligible Jamaicans already in the U.S. to work and live legally while the island recovers.
“Hurricane Melissa has caused unimaginable damage to our neighbors in Jamaica, displacing tens of thousands of people, destroying vital infrastructure, and severely limiting access to basic necessities,” she said. “Situations like this are exactly what TPS was intended for.”
The Category 5 storm made landfall in western Jamaica on Oct. 28, killing at least 45 people. According to Prime Minister Andrew Holness, the damage to the country is estimated at about US$6 billion to US$7 billion based on preliminary figures.
In a statement in the House of Representatives on Nov. 4, Dr. Holness said that the figure is equivalent to about 28 per cent to 32 per cent of last fiscal year’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The disaster affected more than 70,000 farmers and disrupted operations across 41,390 hectares of farmland. Further reports indicate that approximately 90,000 families in western Jamaica were directly affected by Hurricane Melissa and more than 120,000 buildings lost their roofs.
James pointed to previous TPS designations for Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua and Nepal following major natural disasters, arguing that Jamaica now faces a similar crisis.
Caribbean-American and NY reps join the call
New York lawmakers with deep Caribbean ties quickly backed the push.
Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke said the devastation and displacement in Jamaica are “at levels never before seen in its history,” adding that the U.S. has a “moral and diplomatic obligation” not to send people back into unsafe conditions. “These are the precise moments for which Congress established Temporary Protected Status,” she said. Clarke recently led 43 members of Congress in sending their own letter urging DHS to designate TPS for Jamaica.
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr., whose mother is Jamaican, said watching the storm’s fallout “breaks my heart.” He added, “Now is not the time to play politics. The Trump administration must immediately extend Temporary Protected Status to Jamaicans as they begin the arduous, painstaking work of rebuilding their lives and their nation.”
Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn said Melissa “left thousands of families without basic necessities like electricity, clean water, and in many cases, causing the loss of loved ones,” arguing it is “not safe for Jamaicans currently in the United States to return home.”
Assemblymember Brian Cunningham, also of Jamaican descent, said the crisis “hits incredibly close to home.” Extending TPS, he added, is “a moral imperative that reflects our nation’s values.”
Assemblymember Alicia Hyndman, who represents one of the largest Jamaican communities in the country, said residents in her district are “feeling this tragedy personally.” The destruction, she said, is “unprecedented,” and TPS is “a humanitarian necessity.”
New York City Council Majority Whip Selvena Brooks-Powers said the storm’s aftermath is “unimaginable,” adding that TPS would honor the city’s long-standing ties to Jamaica and offer stability to families still reeling from the disaster.
DHS has not yet indicated whether it is considering the designation.
