Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders, sought to allay fears over the US administration’s revamped deportation policy while warning of potential economic challenges in the event of a global trade war.
Speaking on Observer AM yesterday, Sir Ronald said that legal Caribbean residents in the United States have nothing to fear from the new deportation measures, despite widespread concern.
“People who have entered the United States on a visa that allows them to be a Green Card holder and, or to be there on a work permit and to undertake legal activity have nothing to fear,” the ambassador stated, addressing growing anxiety within the diaspora community.
According to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) documents, approximately 110 Antiguans and Barbudans are among those listed for possible deportation.
However, Sir Ronald contextualized these numbers, comparing them to figures from Central American countries.
“If you look at the list that everybody has seen … the numbers for the Caribbean pale in significance when you look at the numbers for Guatemala and El Salvador, Honduras,” he explained.
He detailed how those people could be located through entry records and sponsor information provided during their initial arrival.
When asked about potential CARICOM responses to these challenges, Sir Ronald emphasized the need for perspective, noting that Caribbean nations also use similar immigration enforcement measures, making it difficult to challenge such policies from a regional level.
Beyond immigration concerns, he warned of potentially far-reaching consequences from the trade tensions between the United States and countries including China, Canada, and Mexico.
“Nobody wins from a trade war and that would include the country that starts it,” he said, explaining how increased tariffs could lead to higher costs for both businesses and consumers in the United States.
The ambassador illustrated how small businesses could be vulnerable to these trade pressures.
“If I’m a small business and I depend on cheaper inputs for my business… and those prices have gone up, it means the price at which I’m selling to an American has just gone up by the additional cost that I’m paying,” he explained.
Sir Ronald also expressed concern about the World Trade Organization’s diminishing ability to arbitrate such disputes effectively, describing it as increasingly “toothless” in resolving international trade conflicts.
