In “fighting for your family,” Gov. Kathy Hochul delivered her 2025 State of the State address, including more than 200 initiatives that she says will put money back in people’s pockets, keep New Yorkers safe and ensure the future of New York is a place where all families can thrive. “Your family is my fight — and I will never stop fighting for the people of New York,” Hochul said. “New Yorkers expect results and that’s why I fight day in and day out to make New York safer, healthier, cleaner, more affordable for you and your family — and that is what we’re doing with the initiatives announced as part of my 2025 State of the State.” To help more families get ahead and make life in New York more affordable, the governor said she is committed to driving down costs and putting money directly back into people’s pockets. To do that, Hochul proposes: Cutting middle class taxes for more than 8.3 million New York taxpayers – lowest level in nearly 70 years; sending inflation refund checks of up to $500 to over 8.6 million New York households; expanding New York’s child tax credit to provide up to $1,000 per child to 1.6 million families; and fighting for the full restoration of the SALT deduction to provide much needed relief for New Yorkers; and supporting the youngest New Yorkers and their families.
The Brooklyn community on Saturday, Jan. 18, paid its last respects to “Honorary Guyanese” Dr. Marguerite Thompson, a prominent African-American early childhood educator, community leader, and artist, whose late husband, Dr. Thomas Thompson, was a Guyanese native. During her lifetime, Dr. Marguerite Thompson dedicated herself to helping and learning more about Guyana. She died on Dec. 20, 2024, at the age of 94. Caribbean-American U.S. Rep. Yvette D. Clarke was among many who paid tribute to Dr. Thompson during an Official Memorial Service on Jan. 18 at Fenimore Street United Methodist Church (FUMC) in Brooklyn, Dr. Thompson’s home church. A Memorial Service was also held the day before at the Weeksville Center in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. “I think of the work she did in the community,” said Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, who represents the 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn. “She was a stalwart in the community. “The legacy she’s left is a bar that has been set,” added the U.S. Rep. before presenting a Congressional Citation to Dr. Thompson’s grandchildren.
February
New York Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of 22 attorneys general celebrated the court’s decision to temporarily block President Trump from withholding trillions of dollars in funding that every state in the country relies on to provide essential services to millions of Americans, including Caribbean immigrants. Judge John J. McConnell of the US District Court for the District of Rhode Island granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) blocking Trump’s “illegal funding freeze” of many federal agency grants, loans, and other financial assistance programs. Attorney General James and the coalition had filed a lawsuit to stop the policy. “The power of the purse belongs to Congress – not the President of the United States,” said Attorney General James.
The New York State Senate passed legislation sponsored by Sen. Zellnor Myrie (D-Central Brooklyn) that would add transparency to pharmacy services administrative organizations, switch companies, and rebate aggregators — intermediaries who drive up consumer costs in the prescription drug supply chain. Myrie, who represents the 20th Senate District in Brooklyn, introduced the Prescription Drug Supply Chain Transparency Act in response to the high cost of prescription drugs facing New Yorkers. “Too many New Yorkers are forced to choose between lifesaving medications and paying for food and rent,” said Sen. Myrie. “This bill would require annual disclosures from middlemen that drive up costs for consumers and full transparency about their ownership and potential conflicts of interest that unfairly increase prices.”
Trump’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revoked the humanitarian parole programs for individuals from Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, known as the CHNV program. “This decision will categorically end the protection and legal status of 530,000 people who arrived in the United States under parole status,” Murad Awawdeh, president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), an umbrella policy and advocacy organization that represents over 200 immigrant and refugee rights groups throughout New York, told Caribbean Life. He said the CHNV program allows qualified nationals from these countries to live and work in the US through sponsorship by a US citizen or permanent resident for a period of two years. Awawdeh said the program will end on April 24, 2025, at which point participants will lose their status and work authorization.
Immigration advocates in New York have condemned a Trump administration memo calling for sanctions, reviews, and stricter oversight of attorneys representing Caribbean and other immigrants in both immigration and federal courts.
If implemented, immigration advocates say the directive would create another barrier for Caribbean and other immigrants seeking legal representation. “The Trump administration’s latest memo is a direct attack on due process and access to justice,” said Murad Awawdeh, president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), an umbrella policy and advocacy organization representing over 200 immigrant and refugee rights groups throughout New York, told Caribbean Life. “By imposing unnecessary sanctions and oversight, this directive seeks to intimidate attorneys from representing immigrants, making it even easier for the government to fast-track deportations without fair hearings,” he added. “This is an assault on our constitutional right to a fair day in court.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul shared a breakdown of how the Trump administration’s cuts to the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program will impact critical infrastructure and community resilience projects in New York State. With this action, Hochul stated that the federal Department of Homeland Security has revoked over $325.5 million in funding for projects that have not yet commenced construction. Additionally, she said there is another $56 million worth of projects where work has already begun, that are potentially at risk.
The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), member organizations, immigrant New Yorkers, elected officials, and allies rallied at the New York State Capitol in support of the New York For All Act (A3506/S2235) for the 2025 New York State Legislative Session. The New York for All Act is landmark legislation that would prohibit state and local government agencies, including law enforcement, from colluding with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), sharing sensitive personal information, or allocating personnel and resources to aid in federal immigration enforcement efforts. By reinforcing the separation between local governance and federal immigration policies, the legislation ensures that all New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status, can access public services, care for their families, and participate in community life without fear.
May
Haitian-American Assembly Member Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn began celebrating Haitian Heritage Month, commemorated annually worldwide each May to honor Haitians at home and those in the Diaspora. Bichotte Hermelyn, chair of the Brooklyn Democratic Party and representative for the 42nd Assembly District in Brooklyn, noted that the month-long celebration is an expansion of Haitian Flag Day, also called Haitian Unity Day, which is observed on May 18. “As the first Haitian-American woman elected in the New York State Legislature, who proudly represents one of the largest Haitian populations in the world, I am honored to join our community in celebrating our strength, resilience, and continued legacy,” the daughter of Haitian immigrants told Caribbean Life. “From arts and music to politics and public service — and many more vital fields, Haitian heritage continues to shape the cultural fabric of New York and the world.”
In its inaugural Memorial Day Ceremony, the Brooklyn-based Caribbean-American Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (CACCI) bestowed honors on five Caribbean-born military veterans. The veterans, who served either their native country or the United States, were: Arden Tannis, a former inspector in the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force; Tannis’s Barbadian-born wife, Dr. Arlette Tannis, an erstwhile member of the Barbados Defense Force; Daton Benn, who served in the Guyana Defense Force; Barbadian-born De-Alvin Wiltshire, a former specialist in the US Army; and Vincentian-born Dr. Nelson A. King, a former US Army sergeant. The honorees were presented with citations and proclamations from U.S. Rep. Yvette D. Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, who represents the 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn; and New York City Council Member Rita Joseph, the Haitian-born representative for the 40th Council District in Brooklyn.
June
As someone born in Haiti, the first Black republic to rise up and break the chains of slavery, Brooklyn Council Member Mercedes Narcisse says Juneteenth “resonates deeply” with her. “It serves as a powerful reminder that the fight for liberation has always been shared across oceans, from the sugarcane fields of the Caribbean to the cotton plantations of the American South,” Narcisse, who represents the 46th Council District in Brooklyn, told Caribbean Life exclusively. “Our Caribbean history is inseparable from this legacy,” she added. “Whether in Haiti, Jamaica, Barbados, or Trinidad, we know what it means to resist, to rise, and to reclaim our dignity. Our shared histories connect us. “From the fields of Haiti to the plantations of the American South, Black people have always resisted oppression and claimed our humanity, often in solidarity with one another,” Narcisse continued. “That spirit lives on today.”
Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson hosted a Juneteenth Flag Raising Ceremony on Wednesday, June 18, at Lou Gehrig Plaza in the Bronx, honoring the legacy and resilience of enslaved Americans and their descendants. Gibson, whose father hailed from Trinidad and Tobago, said the Juneteenth ceremony symbolized “freedom, resilience, and renewed commitment to justice.” She said the flag was raised in “a powerful display of remembrance and unity.” The Bronx Borough President said this year’s ceremony featured live performances and remarks from advocates and local leaders on the historical significance of Juneteenth. “Juneteenth is not just about history. It is about truth, healing, and progress,” Gibson said.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams honored four Caribbean nationals during his annual Caribbean-American Heritage Month Celebration at Gracie Mansion, the mayor’s official residence on East 88th Street, Upper East Side, Manhattan. The honorees were: Angela P. Sealy, the Trinidadian-born former chairperson and treasurer, current member and senior advisor of the Brooklyn-based West Indian American Day Carnival Association (WIADCA); Jacqueline T. Lopardo, a Staten Island-born strategic legal counselor, marketing and branding executive, who boasts from a “powerful Caribbean lineage”, with Barbadian, Montserratian, Antiguan and Trinidadian roots; Alexandra Actie, St. Lucian-born, former New York City Corrections officer and founding member of the St. Lucia House Foundation, an umbrella organization representing several St. Lucian groups in New York City; and Grenadian International DJ Kevin Crown. Sealy, who celebrated her 90th birthday on Jan. 11, thanked the mayor for “all he had done for the Caribbean community.”
Brooklyn Canarsie Lions Club President Jean Joseph was sworn in for a fourth one-year term on Tuesday, Jul. 22, during an elaborate Installation and Award Ceremony at Community Board 18 on Bergen Avenue in Canarsie, Brooklyn. “I feel both immense gratitude and a renewed sense of responsibility to stand before you again, re-elected as president of the Canarsie Lions Club,” Dominican-born Joseph, a certified public accountant, told the ceremony after she was sworn in by Lions District Gov., Guyanese Jennifer Seymour-Wright. “I am deeply honored.” She said the Lion’s Club International has always been more than “a meeting of minds; it’s a movement of hearts. “And tonight, I want to recommit to that heart, that purpose, and the future we’re building together here at the Canarsie Lions,” said Joseph, thanking “each of you—whether you voted for me or not.”
August
Consul General of Jamaica New York Alsion Roach Wilson, OD, says the island’s 63rd Anniversary of Independence is “a testament to a people who continue to rise, to overcome, and to contribute with pride to every corner of the world we touch.” In her Independence Message on Wednesday, Aug. 6, to the “vibrant Jamaican Diaspora across the 33 states served by the Consulate General of Jamaica in New York, and to our friends in Puerto Rico and Bermuda,” Roach Wilson said the independence anniversary is “more than a date on the calendar. “We celebrate this year under the inspiring theme, ‘Be Proud. Be Bold. In the Black, Green and Gold,’ a call to carry our identity with honor and to live each day with courage and purpose,” she said.
As the Trump administration intensifies mass deportation of Caribbean and other immigrants, the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), an umbrella immigration advocacy group of over 200 immigrant groups in New York State, on Thursday, Aug. 28, unveiled a new series of compelling portraits celebrating immigrant stories at the iconic Flatiron Building in Manhattan. Murad Awawdeh, NYIC president and CEO, told Caribbean Life that the second year of its “New York Proud” campaign is “a bold public art initiative that transforms subway stations, bus stops, and plazas to showcase the real people at the center of America’s immigration debate. “’New York Proud’ is not just about defending the rights of immigrants – it’s about reminding New Yorkers the indispensable role immigrants play in keeping our city alive,” he said.
September
Despite very heavy police presence, the New York Police Department (NYPD) reported late Monday that at least six people were shot along the massive West Indian-American Day Carnival Parade route on Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway, bringing a sad end to an otherwise grand extravaganza in picture-perfect weather. As millions of spectators and hundreds of thousands of masqueraders and revelers converged on Labor Day Monday along one of Brooklyn’s major thoroughfares, for the 58th Annual New York Caribbean Carnival Parade, police said a reveler was shot in the leg along the 3 ½ parade route, which began at Buffalo Avenue and Eastern Parkway, and ended at Grand Army Plaza and Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn. As the parade, which started at 11 a.m. and culminated at 6 p.m., was wrapping up, police also reported that six other people were hit by gunfire in separate incidents. The shootings, though none was reported fatal, marred the pageantry, as millions watched from ubiquitous police barricades, as humongous speakers mounted atop flatbed trucks blasted soca, reggae, kompa, zouk, and other Caribbean music in weather hovering around a high of 78 °F.
Caribbean-American Democratic U.S. Rep. Yvette D. Clarke says she voted “no” on Friday, Sept. 19, on a Republican-led resolution honoring slain right-wing advocate Charlie Kirk. “I will always condemn senseless acts of political violence,” Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, who represents the 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn, told Caribbean Life on Friday. “No American — regardless of party or ideology — should fear retribution or violence for speaking freely. Charlie Kirk’s murder was a horrific act of political violence, and a stain on the United States and any nation where young children lose their father solely because of the opinions he espoused is a nation in desperate need of healing and a different path forward. “I extend my deepest condolences to the Kirk family, friends, and loved ones, and I pray for strength and comfort for his wife, Erika, their two young children, and all who mourn his loss,” added the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC).
October
Caribbean-American Democratic leaders on Wednesday, Oct. 1, blamed President Donald J. Trump and Republicans for the federal government shutdown. “From the moment Donald Trump took office, he and his administration have been on a relentless crusade to make this nation less affordable, less equitable, and less like the America we love with all our hearts,” U.S. Rep. Yvette D. Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, told Caribbean Life. “This ongoing government shutdown is simply the culmination of those efforts so far. The American people are not fools,” added the representative for the 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn. “They see that Republicans control the House, the Senate, and the White House, and they know the responsibility to fund the government is on the majority’s shoulders. If Republicans cannot keep the government open without Democratic votes, they should have a meaningful dialogue with our leaders rather than insult them with crude, racist caricatures for applause on social media.”
As the Trump administration in the United States builds its military presence in the Caribbean, a Vincentian diplomat in the US is urging the Caribbean to remain a Zone of Peace. St. Vincent and the Grenadines Consul General to the United States Rondy “Luta” McIntosh expressed profound concern while addressing an Ecumenical Service of Thanksgiving in Brooklyn on Sunday, Oct. 19, commemorating St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ 46th Anniversary of Political Independence from Great Britain. McIntosh said St. Vincent and the Grenadines marks its milestone with “a profound sense of hope but also heightened awareness of the global and regional threats that surround us. Our region — the Caribbean — is now facing growing military tensions and geopolitical rivalries that threaten the long-standing tradition of peace in our hemisphere,” he said. “These developments are sobering. And they call us, as a sovereign people, to be both vigilant and prayerful. We must not take peace for granted. Let us boldly declare, with faith and unity, that our Caribbean must remain a Zone of Peace — a region not of warships and weapons, but of dialogue, diplomacy and dignity.”
November
New York Attorney General Letitia James says she was “heartened” by the dismissal on Monday, Nov. 24, of her indictment by US District Judge Cameron Currie. Judge Currie dismissed the criminal cases against James and former FBI Director James Comey, stating that the prosecutor who brought the charges at President Donald Trump’s behest was illegally appointed by the Department of Justice (DOJ). “I am heartened by today’s victory and grateful for the prayers and support I have received from around the country,” James told Caribbean Life. “I remain fearless in the face of these baseless charges, as I continue fighting for New Yorkers every single day,” she added. Judge Currie stated that it was unlawful to appoint two interim prosecutors consecutively, thereby dismissing the charges against James and Comey without prejudice.
The Jamaica Consulate General in New York announced the Celebration of the Life for Consul General Alsion Marie Roach-Wilson, CD, who died at her home in New York on Nov. 8, according to Jamaica Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Kamina Johnson Smith. Roach-Wilson was 62. She was born on Feb. 21, 1963. The Consulate General of Jamaica at New York said the funeral service took place on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, at Community Baptist Church of Englewood, 224 1st St., Englewood, NJ. Caribbean-American legislators in New York continue to pay tribute to Roach-Wilson. Democratic U.S. Rep. Yvette D. Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, who represents the 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn, extended “deepest and most heartfelt condolences” to Roach-Wilson’s husband, Omar, and to the family, colleagues, staff, and loved ones. “On a very personal note, I am extremely heartbroken by the news of the passing of my dear friend and sister, Alsion Roach-Wilson,” Clarke, who chairs the Congressional Black Caucus, told Caribbean Life. “Beyond her distinguished service to the Jamaican people, Caribbean-American and diplomatic communities, Alsion was someone whose spirit radiated warmth, compassion, and authenticity, above all else, to others. She was, indeed, my sister in service.”
December
Top Republican and Democratic Senators on the Senate Armed Services Committee have vowed to conduct “vigorous oversight” after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly directed US military troops to “kill everybody” aboard a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean Sea. “The Committee is aware of recent news reports — and the Department of Defense’s initial response — regarding alleged follow-on strikes on suspected narcotics vessels in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility,” said Senators Roger Wicker, Republican of Mississippi, and Jack Reed, Democrat of Rhode Island, in a joint statement, referring to the Miami-based US Southern Command that oversees US military operations in Latin America and the Caribbean. “The Committee has directed inquiries to the department, and we will be conducting vigorous oversight to determine the facts related to the circumstances,” they added. The Republican-controlled US House of Representatives Armed Services Committee also said it will conduct a similar inquiry.
The San Diego, CA-based Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) on Thursday, Dec. 18, marked International Migrants Day with an urgent call to end United States President Donald Trump’s “racist and anti-migrant” agenda. HBA Founder and Executive Director Guerline Jozef told Caribbean Life that HBA “stands in solidarity with migrants globally and condemns the Trump administration’s intensifying attacks on Black, Caribbean, and Global South migrants. “Rather than offering protection in accordance with domestic and international laws to people fleeing violence and humanitarian crises, the US government has doubled down on punitive measures that restrict freedom of movement and tear families apart.” At the same time, Jozef said Trump’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is terminating Family Reunification Parole programs for Haiti, Cuba, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras — “ending legal pathways that kept families together and provided work authorization for many.” In addition, she said Trump has also moved forward with ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti, “stripping hundreds of thousands of Haitians of legal status, despite ongoing violence and humanitarian crisis in their homeland.”
