A fiery dispute has erupted following the Immigration Department’s first bilingual community forum, with Hispanic community leader Alex Martinez accusing officials of staging “a setup” and Chief Immigration Officer Katrina Yearwood dismissing his claims as “false and misleading.”
Hispanic Community leader Alex Martinez
The meeting, intended to bridge gaps between immigration authorities and Dominican Republic residents, has instead exposed deep mistrust within one of Antigua and Barbuda’s largest non-national communities.
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Inaugural bilingual Immigration Forum hosted by Immigration Department of Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua does not need any Spanish loud-mouthed activists like Alex Martinez here stirring up unnecessary trouble. To many locals, the increasing number of Santo Domingoans flocking to out 108sq.mls island IS cause for concern. Why doesn’t Mr Big Mouth explain why weapons were confiscated
prior to the start of the consultation. Why doesn’t Mr Big Mouth explain factually why there are so many , by his own admission, illegal Hispanics living here. These people should be rounded up and repatriation at the earliest opportunity. Where else in the world is this tolerated? What makes this group special? The devil finds work for idle hands. That young woman who ABDUCTED AND MURDERED 9-year old Chantelle Crump a few months ago. obviously had idle hands! Why doesn’t Mr. Big Mouth explain basic traffic laws to his flock – You are NOT allowed to park on Joseph Lane, for example. How many times have they been warned and they just ignore the authorities. Tell your flock, while you’re at it, that it is illegal to park on our sidewalks as an alternative thereby forcing Antiguans and other legal residents to walk in the streets instead! Antiguans are so quick to APE the actions of outsiders and even defend them in their ignorance and contempt. Mr Big Mouth, you may feel strengthened by government’s recent importation of scores of your homies, ostensibly to work in the construction field, but do not for one minute think that you will become a force to be reckoned with. Do not let the silence of the local population fool you into believing that you are even important. Understand your damned self!
Amen
Sounds like the forum did exactly what it was supposed to bring issues to light. If people are angry, maybe that means the conversation is finally getting real.
People forget that Katrina Yearwood has been trying to modernize that department for years. She’s not perfect, but she’s not hiding either.
I was there. It wasn’t a setup. The officers were patient, but some people came looking for a fight, not solutions.
These forums feel more like political theatre sometimes lights, cameras, tempers. Still, I’ll bring popcorn to the next one.
Maybe next time the immigration department need to.invite a referee. Preferably one fluent in English, Spanish and Drama
He sound so damn stupid talking about Afghanistan. Is a good thing they had the metal detector cause all you come with knife.
Supposed to be a “forum” for dialogue, but it’s already turning into a war of words. Trust is earned, not assumed, and this isn’t helping.
Why are we even giving these vermin a voice as if they have any right to be demanding anything?
Go the hell back to where you came from.
Martinez is just upset that he wasnt the one with the mic. He loves to be at the forefront.
Every time someone gets challenged, it becomes “a setup.” Maybe the real issue is people not liking tough questions.
If it was really a “setup,” that’s shameful. But if it wasn’t, then Martinez owes the department an apology. We need facts, not fireworks.
Public engagement gets messy. It’s not a setup it’s democracy with microphones.
Tell him to come visit the areas they reside in the 2 and 3 bars on one street, trash every where the knock up shacks they built and he would ask us to deport them to country of origin, parking is a mess even the abandoned cars, PLEASE TELL US WHY THEY ARE TURNING ANTIGUA INTO THIS FILTHY PLACE TO LIVE IN AND WE CAN’T GET HELP FROM IMMIGRATION AND THE GOVERNMENT COME SEE AND SEND THEM HOME, FOLLOW THE RULES YOU STAY.
Mr. Martinez should be grateful that these citizens of the Dominican Republic who are living in Antigua illegally are not treated the way the way that the Dominican Republic Government treated the Haitian citizens who are living illegally in the Dominican Republic. If scotch bonnet pepper is not sweet in the mouth there’s no way it will be sweet in the eyes.
Tell your government to treat the Haitians who made your nation independent better.