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Visas don’t vote - Diaspora stands with politicians blocked from entering US

Published:Sunday | December 29, 2019 | 12:00 AMKaryl Walker - Gleaner Writer
Ann-Marie Vaz
Daryl Vaz
Paulwell
Ann-Marie Vaz
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As whispers continue and Jamaicans await a final outcome in the controversial revocations of United States visas of local parliamentarians, individuals born on this Caribbean island but who have joined the diaspora in America are warning against using unsubstantiated suspicion to act against the representatives of the people.

Outgoing member of the Jamaica Diaspora Council Advisory Board US south-eastern region, Wayne Golding, is cautioning against the vilification of parliamentarians Daryl Vaz, his wife Ann-Marie Vaz and Phillip Paulwell.

When news broke in early November of the revocation of Daryl Vaz’s and Paulwell’s visas, tongues were sent wagging and speculation was rife around the reason such firm action would be taken by the US immigration authorities.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Vaz’s wife was denied a US visa when she went to renew her previous one, which had expired.

Ann-Marie Vaz is a first-time parliamentarian, having defeated PNP firebrand Damion Crawford in a by-election for East Portland after sitting Member of Parliament Dr Lynvale Bloomfield was found murdered at his home at Passley Gardens in the constituency. Her husband is the member of parliament for West Portland while Paulwell is the political representative for East Kingston and Port Royal.

Golding, who has practised immigration law in South Florida for more than a decade, said calls for the political representatives to step back from representational politics before the next general election are unfounded, suggesting the ability access a visa has no role in the vote. That election is constitutionally due in 2021, but widely expected to take place next year.

“I don’t think that the Diaspora has an opinion that these people should step back. A visa can be revoked for any reason. It cannot be used as a measure to dictate whether someone should run for office or not,” Golding said.

Golding told The Sunday Gleaner that, in his experience, the revocation of the visas is done solely for the benefit of the US and should not have any bearing on Jamaica’s political process.

“It’s an everyday occurrence. That’s the prerogative of the US and the US has no set play to revoke one’s visa. Visas get revoked and reinstated. It is their way of enforcing what they think is best for their country,” he said.

According to Golding, statistics obtained through US Customs and Border Protection indicate that between 2001 and 2015 some 122,000 visas of foreign nationals have been revoked by the United States.

He said the US authorities have a number of reasons to take such action and revocation of visas does not necessarily indicate that the subject whose visa is revoked is involved in criminality or corruption.

“They have intensified since that period. Many important people have had their visas revoked, including members of the Jamaica Defence Force and the police,” he said. “They can revoke for many reasons, one of which is the poison pen letter. This means that someone can write a letter to the US authorities making certain allegations and, without even investigating it, the US will just revoke. It is policy and not political.”

Newly re-elected Jamaica Diaspora representative for Canada, Yvette Blackburn, agreed with Golding’s take on the visa issue.

“In light of all matters regarding the revoking of visas for MPs Daryl Vaz, Ann-Marie Vaz and Phillip Paulwell, it would be highly speculative for me to comment. The germane issues as to why the US Immigration deemed it necessary have not been borne out in the public. It would be extremely premature to ask the duly elected members to withdraw from their roles. The US matter has nothing to do with their exercise of duties, at least to our knowledge, in the sovereign government of Jamaica,” Blackburn said.

Dale Holness, the first Jamaica-born mayor to represent the people of Broward County, said however that, when in leadership, individuals must be conscious of what they do, how they act and what they say.

“The Jamaican Government and the Opposition have a decision to make, as to whether Mr Vaz and his wife should continue in their capacity as representatives of the people. Likewise the PNP needs to make a decision on Mr Paulwell,” said Holness, who has played an active role in the affairs of the Jamaican diaspora and has been involved in representational politics in South Florida for upwards of two decades.

The United States Embassy in Kingston has stated that it is against its policy to divulge information surrounding the reasons why visas are revoked, denied or granted as that is solely the business of the United States Government who are the sole owners of any type of visa issued to a foreign national.

“I don’t know the reason for the revocation of the visas and I do not know the impact of the contribution to national development of the three persons involved. However, it is certainly unfortunate that the US would revoke their visas and I am certain that the US has justification to revoke these visas,” Holness said.

Mark Douglas, city commissioner for Sunrise in Broward County, is a Clarendon native who says the politicians should sit tight and not allow themselves to be dictated to by ‘big brother’ up north.

“For whatever it is worth, I don’t believe the mere revocation of a visa is a basis for a political representative of a sovereign nation to resign their position, as that is not a qualification set out in the Representation of the People’s Act or the Constitution of Jamaica,” Douglas said.

“If this were to occur, it would in fact have a deleterious effect on the democratic functioning of the government, where a third country could decide who remains in government and who does not, based on a single act that overrides the will of the people. Since it is the US government’s sovereign right to issue or revoke visas, without explanation, one cannot assume that by doing so, by default a person’s character has been compromised.”

Justin Peart, associate professor of business at the St Thomas University in Miami-Dade county, was also in agreement with Golding’s analysis. Peart said it was a hard call to ask the politicians to throw in the towel when the reason for the revocation was not being made public by the US government.

“I have noted with interest the withdrawal of USA diplomatic visas from a few of Jamaica’s top politicians. Given the long-standing friendly relations between the USA and Jamaica, one can just imagine that there is much speculation regarding why the US government has taken such action. As usual, the USA does not give reasons for its decisions regarding visas, nor is it obligated to do so. Based on the principle of national sovereignty, this step by the USA should not influence the decisions to have these individuals as political candidates in the next general election,” Peart told The Sunday Gleaner.

Leslie Burke has lived in the United States for upwards of two decades but is very much in tune with the happenings in the land of her birth. Burke was of the view that the US should state the reason why the visas were revoked so a clearer picture could be deciphered.

Burke was adamant that the politicians should stand their ground until the reason for the revocation was made public knowledge.

“Why should they step aside? As far as we know they have not been charged for any crime or found to be corrupt. If it is known that they are involved in crime or are corrupt then by all means they should be asked by their party to move right along. You can’t be representing your country and be corrupt, but we as Jamaicans would like to know the reasons why the visas were revoked. There is no proof that they committed any crime,” Burke told The Sunday Gleaner.