Tuesday’s Regional News Recap: Venezuela Deportation Debate, Haiti’s Escalating Crisis & Jamaica’s Crime Drop
By Tiana Cole | HGP Nightly News
US Judge Questions Trump-Era Deportation Law Use on Venezuelans
A U.S. District Judge in Denver has raised concerns about whether the Trump administration’s process for deporting Venezuelan migrants under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act violates their legal rights.
Judge Charlotte Sweeney noted that deportation notices issued at the Blue Bonnet Detention Facility in Texas did not reference habeas corpus, a detainee’s right to challenge their detention. This came after the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily blocked deportations, giving lawyers time to argue for at least 30 days’ notice before removals.
Haiti at “Point of No Return”, UN Warns Amid Escalating Gang Violence
The United Nations Special Representative in Haiti, Maria Isabel Salvador, warned on Monday that the country is nearing “total chaos” due to unrelenting gang violence and state instability.
Speaking at the UN Security Council, Salvador stressed that urgent international aid is needed to prevent further collapse. According to the International Organization for Migration, over 1 million Haitians are displaced, with 60,000 newly forced from their homes in just the last month.
Despite a 2023 UN resolution for a Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, the 1,000-member force has yet to stem the violence. The mission was intended to deploy 2,500 officers.
Jamaica Sees Sharp Drop in Major Crimes
Jamaica’s fight against crime is yielding positive results. The Jamaican Constabulary Force (JCF) reports that murders are down by 36%, and shootings have dropped by 28% compared to the same period last year.
From January 1 to April 17, 2025, the island also saw:
- A 51.4% decrease in rape
- A reduction in robberies from 214 to 199
- A slight increase in break-ins, from 267 to 331
The government attributes the decline to targeted policing strategies, supported by technology and intelligence-led operations. Police Commissioner Antony Anderson confirmed this is the sixth consecutive quarter of declining murders on the island.
