Jamaica signed MOU with United States to transit third-country deportees

Jamaica's National Security Minister Dr. Horace Chang confirmed on June 17, 2026 that Jamaica had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, dated to June 10, 2026, to accept up to 25 third-country nationals every two weeks — people who are neither U.S. nor Jamaican citizens — while arrangements are made for their return to their home countries. Chang and Prime Minister Andrew Holness repeatedly stressed the individuals would only "transit" Jamaica rather than settle there, and that no more than 10 would be present in the country at any time; the full memorandum has never been publicly released by either government.

The agreement arrived months after a U.S. federal district court ruled in February 2026 that the government's broader third-country removal policy was unlawful because it failed to give migrants proper notice before transferring them to undesignated countries — a ruling that did not stop the administration from continuing to enforce the policy pending appeal. A DHS spokesperson said the department was "utilizing all lawful options" to carry out deportations. The deal provoked sustained public protest in Jamaica and criticism from opposition politicians and diaspora organizations over its lack of parliamentary scrutiny and disclosure.