With the United States Presidential Election fast approaching, undocumented Jamaican migrants are becoming more apprehensive about their future. 

They are not alone in their worry, as their families back home are praying that whoever wins the presidency will give them a chance to become legal citizens.

Shanice Gibbs has the fourth part of the series – “The U.S. 2024 Presidential Election: The Jamaican Perspective.”

Script below.

“You should vote for change.”

That is the usual plea heard by many during election periods. 

But in the United States, illegal Jamaican immigrants restless about their future in the country are not eligible to vote for any change. 

So, instead of casting their ballots in the November 5 Presidential Elections, they have enlisted the help of their families back home to advocate for a chance to remain in the U.S.

One mother who wishes to be called Rose, explains that two of her three adult children are living in the U.S. illegally. 

She says her daughter and son had to flee Jamaica after gunmen kicked open the door of their home and murdered her older son. 

To prevent the loss of any more of her children, Rose kissed them goodbye in 2016 and sent them off to the U.S. 

She has not seen them since, as without a U.S. Visitor’s Visa she had to flee to a small island in the region for safety. 

With Republican Presidential Candidate, Donald Trump promising to carry out mass deportation if he wins, Rose fears her children will only return to Jamaica to their deaths. 

She is desperately hoping that whoever becomes President will give illegal immigrants like her children, a chance at legal status and ultimately safety. 

Accepting that the next U.S. administration will have to address the issue of immigration, Rose is suggesting that the Government assesses the economic benefits and use it to its advantage.