Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders are seeking to invite U.S. President Donald Trump to visit the region for discussions on U.S.-Caribbean relations, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne announced Friday. In addition, they plan to engage senior Trump administration officials “as soon as practically possible.”
The CARICOM leaders convened a three-day summit in Barbados, beginning on Wednesday, where the Trump administration’s policies and its impact on the Caribean were discussed.
“We’re hoping we are successful in inviting President Trump to the region. It’s very important for him to pay some attention to the third border of the United States. Also, to enter meaningful discussions as to how U.S. policies impact the region, especially these smaller countries,” Browne said. “Many of us have open economies and we import up to 80% of what we consume primarily from the United States.”
The urgency behind the invitation stems from shifts in U.S. policies since Trump took office on January 20, including foreign aid cuts, withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO), and immigration policy changes. Leaders of the 15-member CARICOM bloc are particularly concerned about the recent rollback of Temporary Protected Status for over half a million Haitian migrants living in the U.S.
“Already you have so many gang members, hundreds of thousands of people on the streets, and if you end up with maybe another 200,000 criminals on the streets of Haiti, it will make the situation more complex,” Browne said. “That is of serious concern for us, and we’re hoping that even in our subsequent engagements with [Secretary of State] Marco Rubio and potentially with the President… we can ask him to reconsider the impact of such a decision on Haiti.”
While no specific date has been set for Trump’s invitation, Browne emphasized the leaders’ determination to make progress. “These are aspirations, and we’re making every attempt now,” he said.
A significant concern among CARICOM members is Trump’s focus on tariffs and the freeze on foreign aid. While Antigua does not receive U.S. assistance, Browne noted that many Caribbean nations rely on aid, and the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has already caused ripple effects. The WHO’s Caribbean office, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), faces a $56 million funding gap due to the U.S. pullout.
“Obviously, that comes from the general support from the U.S. and even in terms of other assistance from USAID; there’s a gap now of about $6 million,” Browne said. “That itself represents not only a threat for the Caribbean, but also for the United States. COVID would have taught us that no one is safe until all of us are safe.”
Deportation of Caribbean migrants another issue
CARICOM leaders also discussed the potential deportation of Caribbean migrants, a topic that Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley addressed during the summit’s closing press conference.
“The President of the United States and his administration have made it clear. We have asked each in our own right,” she said, referring to requests for information on deportees. “To help us to be better able to prepare.”
Mottley, the current CARICOM chair, confirmed that leaders were in contact with Mauricio Claver-Carone, Trump’s special envoy for Latin America and the Caribbean, and anticipated a high-level meeting soon. “We are facing grave global uncertainty,” she said, “but we are not in any way daunted by the challenges. We are approaching them with a calm confidence and a recognition that unity more than ever will be required from us to meet the common challenges that the world has presented.”
Leaders and foreign affairs ministers from several Caribbean nations, including Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne, Jamaica’s Foreign Minister Kamina Johnson Smith, St. Lucia’s Prime Minister Philip Joseph Pierre, and others, have stated since the beginning of the year that they have a duty to accept deported nationals of their respective countries.
