The Case for Granting Jamaica Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Its Humanitarian Benefits.

For nearly a month, heightened anxiety about deportation has exacerbated the mental health crisis among immigrants from Caribbean nations, particularly those most severely impacted by Hurricane Melissa. Does the United States have a responsibility to ensure safe repatriation for all immigrants affected by natural disasters?

Hurricane Melissa was formed in the central Caribbean Sea on October 21, 2025.

On October 28, it landed in Jamaica and wreaked havoc across several Carribbean islands.

To date, the death toll is estimated to be at a least 93 people, Haiti  (43), Jamaica (48)  Dominica Republic (2-4). Jamaica, for the first time ever, endured a category 5 hurricane. The hurricane caused catastrophic damage and destruction, with reports indicating that up to 90% of buildings and houses in certain areas were severely affected.

As mental health providers conducting immigration evaluations, it’s important that we document immigrants’ traumatic reactions to natural disasters. Immigration attorneys rely on our Immigration Mental Health Evaluation Hardship Reports to assist in documenting the mental health effects of natural disasters.

It’s important that we acknowledge and document the challenges immigrants’ legal and migratory status may pose after a natural disaster.

Legal Pathways:

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a designation granted to a country affected by a natural disaster. This designation provides eligible individuals with temporary relief from deportation, offering a pathway to safety and protection during the crisis. Jamaica, unfortunately, is currently not eligible for TPS. Many Jamaican immigrants residing in the U.S. have visas that will expire soon. They should be granted TPS because thousands of Jamaicans are still displaced, and it may take years to rebuild Jamaica.

New York Attorney General, Letitia James is pushing for the U.S to grant Jamaican immigrants TPS and work permits until Jamaica recovers. “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.”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides emergency assistance to people after a natural disaster despite their immigration status. These services include crisis counseling, legal services, medical care, shelter and food. Your immigration status should not deter you from asking for help.

Hardship Mental Health Evaluations can be instrumental in supporting immigrants and their families affected by Hurricane Melissa. These evaluations must demonstrate how the state of the home country poses a risk to the TPS/hardship applicant’s physical health, psychological health, economic security, and other forms of suffering.

Despite the challenging times, marked by mass deportations and shifting immigration laws, we must persist in upholding our shared responsibility to safeguard and serve those in need.

Simona Badger, LCSW

S. Badger Empowerment and Consulting Services, LLC

Forensic Social Worker, Psychotherapist, and Educator