Kingston, Jamaica — Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Kamina Johnson Smith has confirmed that the Jamaican government has not refused the repatriation of any of its nationals, amid swirling reports that a Jamaican citizen may have been deported from the United States to the African nation of Eswatini.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) late Wednesday, Minister Johnson Smith acknowledged growing concerns after reports surfaced alleging that one Jamaican was among five individuals deported by the U.S. to a country that is not their own.
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“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade is aware of reports in the public domain, of the transfer of individuals purportedly including a Jamaican national, to Eswatini,” Johnson Smith wrote. “The Ministry has initiated enquiries with the U.S. authorities to ascertain the veracity of the reported inclusion of a Jamaican in the transfer.”
She stressed that Jamaica has never refused to accept the return of any of its citizens, and should the reports be confirmed, the government will work with U.S. counterparts to facilitate the individual’s return to Jamaica.
“We will keep the public updated as soon as further verified information is obtained,” she added.
The situation intensified after Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, took to X on Monday to tout the deportation flight as part of the Trump administration’s controversial third-country expulsion policy.
“This flight took individuals so uniquely barbaric that their home countries refused to take them back,” McLaughlin posted. “These depraved monsters have been terrorising American communities, but thanks to President Trump and Secretary Noem, they are off of American soil.”
While McLaughlin did not name the deportees, she included photos and stated that they hailed from Yemen, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, and allegedly Jamaica. The reported offenses included crimes such as child rape and murder.
The U.S. Supreme Court recently cleared the way for the Trump administration to resume third-country deportations, which involve sending individuals to nations that are not their country of origin. The administration has argued that the policy is necessary when certain countries decline to repatriate their nationals.
This new development has sparked alarm in Jamaica and among human rights advocates, who have raised questions about due process, state sovereignty, and the potential violation of international law when deportations bypass an individual’s home country.
As of Thursday, the identity and citizenship status of the deportee in question remain unconfirmed. The Jamaican government is expected to issue further updates once its diplomatic channels receive clarification from U.S. authorities.
