Former Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley is demanding greater transparency from Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar over whether her administration has reported Trinidad and Tobago nationals to US authorities with recommendations that their American visas be revoked.
In a statement posted on Facebook, Rowley also challenged Persad-Bissessar to explain the basis for previous calls by her and others for the United States to cancel the visas of both himself and former Prime Minister Stuart Young.
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The former prime minister’s comments come amid renewed public concern over US visa cancellations, following a recent announcement by the US State Department that more than 175,000 visas have been revoked in 2026. Washington said the cancellations have involved individuals who violated visa conditions, committed crimes, called for violence against Americans, defrauded US citizens, abused the immigration system or posed national security or public safety concerns.
Rowley welcomed the US clarification, saying it provided the Trinidad and Tobago public with greater understanding of the circumstances under which American visas can be withdrawn.
He then turned the issue toward Persad-Bissessar and the United National Congress (UNC), accusing the party’s leadership and individuals associated with it of using the possibility of US visa cancellation to intimidate citizens.
Rowley specifically questioned why there had been efforts to have his and Young’s US visas cancelled.
“Which of these offences were they guilty of?” Rowley asked, referring to the categories outlined by the US State Department.
The dispute is not new. In November 2025, the US Embassy in Trinidad and Tobago stressed that decisions concerning American visas are made solely by the US government and not by foreign governments or political figures.
Rowley also raised questions about an unnamed individual whom he described as a close friend and “messenger” of the Prime Minister. He claimed the person’s US visa was cancelled before Persad-Bissessar returned to office and challenged her to disclose what circumstances led to the revocation.
When Guardian Media asked Rowley to identify the individual, he said the question should instead be directed to the Prime Minister.
The former prime minister went further, asking Persad-Bissessar to disclose how many other Trinidad and Tobago citizens, apart from himself and Young, had allegedly been reported to US authorities by her government with a recommendation that their visas be cancelled.
“How many other citizens has she and her Government reported to the US government with a recommendation to have their visas cancelled?” he asked.
Persad-Bissessar, when asked for a response, offered a brief reply, saying the US State Department’s statement was “self-explanatory.” She did not publicly address Rowley’s specific questions about whether her government had referred citizens to US authorities.
The controversy comes as the Trump administration has significantly intensified visa enforcement. The US State Department says visa holders can be subject to continuing scrutiny even after a visa has been issued, with revocations forming part of a broader effort to enforce immigration rules and address criminal activity and national security concerns.
For Trinidad and Tobago, the political dispute has added a domestic dimension to an increasingly consequential US immigration policy. Rowley’s latest intervention is likely to keep questions surrounding the role of local political actors in visa-related matters at the centre of public debate.
