By NAN Staffwriter
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Tues. Nov. 18, 2025: New York Attorney General Letitia James is urging the Trump administration to grant Temporary Protected Status, (TPS), to Jamaicans following the catastrophic impact of Hurricane Melissa, which struck western Jamaica on October 28 and killed at least 45 people.
In a letter to the Department of Homeland Security, (DHS), James called for an immediate TPS designation to ensure Jamaicans already in the U.S. can safely live and work here while their homeland begins the long recovery.
A man walks with a shovel in hand over rubble on Main Street in Santa Cruz, St. Elizabeth, Jamaica on October 29, 2025. (Photo by RICARDO MAKYN/AFP via Getty Images)
“Hurricane Melissa has caused unimaginable damage… displacing tens of thousands of people and destroying vital infrastructure,” James said. “Forcing Jamaicans in the United States to return home to a devastated island would be dangerous and cruel. Situations like this are exactly what TPS was intended for.”
Melissa was the most intense storm to ever hit Jamaica, wiping out homes, schools, roads, businesses, and essential services. An estimated 30,000 households have been displaced, and many communities remain without electricity, clean water, or medical care. Early damage estimates exceed US$2 billion.
James noted that the U.S. has a long humanitarian precedent of granting TPS after major natural disasters. Honduras and Nicaragua received TPS after Hurricane Mitch in 1999. Haiti received TPS after the 2010 earthquake, and Nepal after its 2015 quake.
Elected officials representing New York’s Caribbean communities strongly backed the call.
Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, who recently led 43 members of Congress in a letter to DHS urging TPS for Jamaica, said the devastation demands a swift humanitarian response.
“Stopping the forceful expulsion of Jamaican nationals into dangerous, unsafe conditions… is a moral and diplomatic obligation,” Clarke said. “These are the precise moments for which Congress established TPS.”
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr., the son of a Jamaican immigrant, said the scenes coming out of Jamaica “break my heart.”
“The Trump administration must immediately extend TPS to Jamaicans as they begin the arduous, painstaking work of rebuilding their lives,” Richards said.
Assemblymembers Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, Brian Cunningham, and Alicia Hyndman also voiced support, noting the deep ties between Jamaica and New York and the unsafe conditions faced by returning nationals.
New York City Council Majority Whip Selvena N. Brooks-Powers said extending TPS is both a humanitarian duty and a reflection of America’s long-standing relationship with Jamaica.
“The devastation left behind by Hurricane Melissa is unimaginable,” she said. “Extending TPS is not only the right thing to do — it is a critical measure that honors our city’s deep ties to Jamaica.”
For now, the decision rests with the Trump administration. The question lingers: Will they act? The administration has so far ended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 17 countries, front and center among them: Haiti, whose TPS will expire in February 3, 2026, short of the success of the current lawsuit against the termination. Other nations who have lost, or who risk losing, TPS in 2025, include Sudan, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, and Afghanistan.
ABOUT TPS
The Secretary of Homeland Security may designate a foreign country for TPS due to conditions in the country that temporarily prevent the country’s nationals from returning safely, or in certain circumstances, where the country is unable to handle the return of its nationals adequately. USCIS may grant TPS to eligible nationals of certain countries (or parts of countries), who are already in the United States. Eligible individuals without nationality who last resided in the designated country may also be granted TPS.
The Secretary may designate a country for TPS due to the following temporary conditions in the country:
- Ongoing armed conflict (such as civil war)
- An environmental disaster (such as earthquake or hurricane), or an epidemic
- Other extraordinary and temporary conditions
During a designated period, individuals who are TPS beneficiaries or who are found preliminarily eligible for TPS upon initial review of their cases (prima facie eligible):
- Are not removable from the United States
- Can obtain an employment authorization document (EAD)
- May be granted travel authorization
Once granted TPS, an individual also cannot be detained by DHS on the basis of his or her immigration status in the United States.
TPS is a temporary benefit that does not lead to lawful permanent resident status or give any other immigration status. However, registration for TPS does not prevent you from:
- Applying for nonimmigrant status
- Filing for adjustment of status based on an immigrant petition
- Applying for any other immigration benefit or protection for which you may be eligible
