WASHINGTON, DC – Two deported Jamaicans, Devon Cameron and his sister, Donna Cameron who were deported as children from Maryland, United States 25 years ago, on drug-related offences returned on Sept. 20 to the US as citizens.
This was made possible through the assistance of two of Jamaican’s prominent immigration attorneys, Joan Pinnock and Wayne Golding, Diaspora board members North East USA and South East USA, respectively.
The initiative is a result of the first immigration symposium that was held at the sixth Bi-annual Jamaica Diaspora Conference in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The symposium organized by Attorneys Pinnock and Golding offer services to assist deportees in determining their eligibility to return to the US. The project dubbed Immigration Assistance for Jamaica is a pro-bono initiative designed to assist Jamaican deportees.
According to Attorney Pinnock a total of 50 deportees were interviewed and the Cameron siblings were immediately determined as eligible to return to the United States through the concept as derivative citizenship.
Based on their intervention, the proper documents were assimilated and an application made to the US immigration authorities.
She added that on Sept. 9, Devon and Donna Cameron received their US passports from the United States Consulate in Montego Bay. Attorney Pinnock accompanied the pair on their safe return to the States yesterday.
Ms. Pinnock added that both attorneys met with an additional 40 deportees in Kingston on Sept. 15 and determined that another four were eligible to return to the US as citizens. They are committed to working with the new candidates.
According to Attorney Pinnock, since deported Jamaicans are among the highest numbers of immigrants being deported from the US every year, the immigration symposium should be held annually to address the issues of immigration and deportation of Jamaican nationals.
In 2010, attorney Pinnock was successful in returning then deported Vanvern Blake to the United States. He now resides with his family in Connecticut.
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