Ambassador Audrey Marks rejects claims Jamaica agreed to accept 10,000 criminals under US deal

Minister with responsibility for efficiency, innovation and digital transformation Audrey Marks has moved to correct widespread online claims that she proposed bringing 10,000 criminals into Jamaica under a United States third country nationals arrangement.

Speaking in a ministerial update, Marks said misinformation took hold after media reports linked her embassy proposal to a memorandum of understanding between Jamaica and the US on third country nationals. She stressed that the two matters are separate and that she played no part in negotiating the MOU, which she said is a US-led policy that roughly 27 to 28 countries have already joined.

Marks said the misunderstanding grew from a June 16 report in The Gleaner, based on a leaked MOU, and from social media clips featuring US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussing deportations. She pointed to terms already in the public domain: Jamaica may evaluate each individual before any transfer, may refuse anyone for health or security reasons, and will accept only adults without convictions for serious criminal offences. Immigration violations do not qualify as serious offences. Transfers would pause if more than 10 persons sought to remain in Jamaica.

The 10,000 figure, she explained, came from a January 2025 skilled-worker proposal drafted with her embassy team around March 2025. That plan aimed to expand seasonal worker access beyond the current cap of about 20,000, attract highly skilled migrants amid Jamaica's brain drain, pilot roughly 1,000 arrivals, and explore nearshore options for firms such as Google and Amazon. She said a US diplomatic note sought a March 5, 2026 meeting in Miami to discuss that proposal—not an agreement to admit criminals.

On January 2, 2026, the US embassy asked Jamaica's foreign affairs, national security, justice and attorney general offices to open talks on the MOU. Marks said the document remains under negotiation and has not been released, with transit stays capped at seven to 14 days. She insisted the skilled-worker initiative remains active and urged the public to treat unverified claims with caution.