News Briefs

Congresswoman Clarke knocks new immigration policy

NEW YORK (CMC):

Jamaican-American Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke has criticised President Donald Trump’s broadened assault on Caribbean and other immigrants by issuing new regulation aimed at legal immigrants who wish to remain in the United States.

Trump has said that these immigrants should be removed from the country if their financial resources make them a burden on US taxpayers.

Clarke said that the public charge rule announcement has yet again come on the wrong side of history, treating immigrants as less than human.

“The public charge rule means law-abiding immigrants will be put in an impossible position, having to forfeit health care, nutrition and housing programmes in order to get a green card or receive other lawful status,” said Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants.

“Every single one of us has needed help from somebody else at some point in our lives, and this administration has lost sight of this fact with this compassionless public charge rule publication,” she said..

 

 

J’can’s bigamy trial adjourned to September

KINGSTOWN, St Vincent (CMC):

A Magistrate Court has adjourned to September 3, the trial of a 44-year-old Jamaican on a charge of bigamy.

On May 21, police arrested Claude Murray, a resident of Peruvian Vale, a community in eastern St Vincent. He was granted EC$5,000 ($248,600) bail on a charge that he married two women.

Prosecutors are alleging that Murray is legally married in Jamaica, but went through “a form of marriage” to a 54-year-old woman in St Vincent and the Grenadines on December 30, 2017.

But when the matter came up for trial at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court on Monday, the prosecution applied for an adjournment, saying they were not ready to proceed.

The court heard that the pastor who officiated in the ceremony in which Murray is alleged to have taken part was now overseas.

 

 

T&T prison officials on alert after social media threat

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):

Trinidad’s National Security Minister Stuart Young Tuesday said that law enforcement agencies were on high alert after threatening messages had been posted on social media calling for the killing of “any two (prison) officers”.

In a statement, Young said that he wanted to give “full assurance that the safety and security of prison officers remain a top priority for the Ministry of National Security”.

Commissioner of Prisons Gerard Wilson has urged prison officers to exercise caution and vigilance especially when off-duty, noting also that security agencies were now on high alert and directives have been put in place.

Wilson said security would also be provided to officers who live in what are deemed ‘high risk’ areas.

 

 

Firearm seized in St James, man arrested

The police are reporting the seizure of a Bersa Single Action 9mm pistol, along with thirteen 9mm rounds of ammunition, during a raid in Retirement district in St James yesterday.

The police report that about 1:05 a.m., a raid was conducted in the community and during the search of a premises, the weapon and ammunition were found.

One man was subsequently arrested. His identity is being withheld pending further investigations.