Proposed Trump budget cuts could pose security danger for Caribbean

Members of the Mobile Reserve, an arm of the national police, patrol the neighborhood of Dunkirk in Kingston, Jamaica, June 6, 2013. Jamaica is emerging as a rare bright spot in the hub of the fight against drugs and organized crime that extends across South America and the Caribbean. ANDREA BRUCE NYT

By Jacqueline Charles
jcharles@miamiherald.com

Caribbean leaders say proposed cuts to the U.S. State Department’s foreign aid budget could have serious implications for the region and the United States at a time when there is increasing concern about terrorism.

Hosted by Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-New York, and members of the Caribbean Congressional Caucus, a Wednesday briefing on Caribbean policy during the Trump era featured speakers Oscar Spencer, vice president of the Institute for Caribbean Studies, and Sally Yearwood, executive director of Caribbean-Central American Action, which promotes economic development.

Their talks focused on security, a bill proposing to tax remittances and the Trump administration’s recent decision to give Haitians a limited, six-month extension in the Temporary Protected Status program, potentially sending as many as 60,000 Haitians back to their country in January. Read more >>