New York Attorney General Letitia James today called on the federal government to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Jamaicans in the wake of the devastation of Hurricane Melissa, which struck the island on October 28 and has killed at least 45 people. In a letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Attorney General James urges the administration to immediately grant TPS for Jamaicans. TPS allows eligible individuals in the United States who are unable to return to their home countries to safely live and work in the U.S. with legal status. The U.S. has previously granted TPS to immigrants from countries such as Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Nepal following similar natural disasters.
“Hurricane Melissa has caused unimaginable damage to our neighbors in Jamaica, displacing tens of thousands of people, destroying vital infrastructure, and severely limiting access to basic necessities,” said Attorney General James. “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, and our federal government should extend TPS to Jamaicans to help keep people safe while the island rebuilds.”
On October 28th, 2025, Hurricane Melissa made landfall in western Jamaica. Melissa was the most intense storm ever to hit the island, causing at least 45 deaths and over $2 billion worth of property damage across the country. In many communities, the majority of homes, schools, and stores have been destroyed. The storm has displaced an estimated 30,000 households and cut off access to electricity, clean water, and medical care for many others.
As Attorney General James argues in her letter to DHS, the U.S. has a long history of providing a safe haven to those who flee armed conflict, natural disasters, and repressive conditions. DHS has historically granted TPS in the wake of natural disasters to protect people from being forced to return to dangerous and unstable home countries. In 1999 following Hurricane Mitch, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) designated Honduras and Nicaragua for TPS to protect residents of those countries from deportation due to the unsafe conditions in their home countries. DHS also designated Haiti in 2010 and Nepal in 2015 for TPS following devastating earthquakes in both countries.
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