JAMAICA GLEANER: The United States Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) is calling on the Trump Administration to immediately reverse its decision to suspend immigrant visa processing for persons from 75 countries, including Jamaica.

The caucus, which is headed by Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, whose parents are Jamaicans, said that the decision to suspend the processing as of January 21 could have devastating effects on the US economy and the country’s reputation around the world, a statement said Friday.

Noting that many of countries affected by the decision are majority- black countries, the CBC said that time and again some of these countries such as Haiti and Somalia have been subjected to racist policies and attacks from the Administration.

The US government said the move is partly driven by concerns that immigrants are becoming a dependent on public welfare.

The Congressional Black Caucus said that the basis is “patently false”.

“The Trump Administration’s rationale for suspending visa processing rests in part on the patently false claim that immigrants who make American their home are a strain on social safety net programmes,” the statement said. “There is simply no evidence to support this claim. Immigrant communities contribute immensely to the vibrancy and economic growth of our country, despite President Trump’s pattern of demonizing them and stoking hatred against them.”

According to the CBC, President Trump and Congressional republicans have worked to implement historic cuts to programme like SNAP and Medicaid, making clear that their concern is not about resources but about fomenting hate.

“We are calling on the administration to immediately reverse this decision which could have immense and devastating effects on our economy and reputation around the global,” said the statement.

The US Department of State announced that it is putting a pause on the processing of immigrant visa applications while they re-evaluate the applications.

The decision by the United States government to pause the processing of “green card” applications from 75 countries effective January 21 has raised concerns among Jamaicans in the Diaspora with Jamaican immigration attorneys raising the spectre that the move is could drag out efforts at family reunification from these countries.

Several Jamaican immigration attorneys in the United States have said that pausing the processing of green card applications will drag out the process, create uncertainty and impact family reunification.

Non-immigrant applicants for temporary visas are not affected.