LatinNews Daily - 20 July 2026

Caribbean: On 10 July the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it had signed a memorandum of cooperation (MoC) enabling a biometric data sharing partnership with the Caribbean Community (Caricom). The signing, which took place at the embassy of St Kitts & Nevis in Washington DC, included attendees from Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines, and the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), as well as representatives from the US Homeland Security Council and US State Department.  According to a DHS statement, the agreement “establishes a framework for automated queries and exchanges of data to support screening, vetting, and investigation of individuals who may pose security or immigration risks to the United States and CARICOM Member States and Associate Members.” DHS under secretary Rob Law described the agreement as “DHS’s first multilateral biometric information-sharing arrangement”. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Lt. Col. Michael Jones, executive director at Caricom Implementation Agency for Crime and Security, said that this “is not just an agreement on paper” but “a real, shared commitment to locking down our borders and keeping our citizens safe”. The agreement also addresses the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programmes, which allow citizenship to be purchased in certain Caribbean countries, with the DHS stating that this agreement will strengthen vetting practices and help address risks identified with this form of citizenship. Currently CBI programmes are offered by Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts & Nevis, and St Lucia. The US has previously suspended immigrant visa processing for countries offering CBI programmes amid pressure to phase out these schemes.

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