by staff writer
ROSEAU, Dominica, Dec 16, CMC -The Dominica government Tuesday night said that it is seeking to “obtain formal clarification on the scope of the measures” announced by President Donald Trump earlier in which he stated that nationals the island and two other Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries would either be “fully” restricted or have limited entry into the United States.
“The Government of Dominica acknowledges the decision of the Government of the United States of America, announced by the White House on December 16, 2025, to impose partial travel restrictions affecting Dominican nationals, effective January 1, 2026,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Business, Trade, and Energy said in a statement.
The Roosevelt Skerrit administration said that it “understands the concern this announcement may cause and wishes to reassure all Dominicans that this matter is being treated with the utmost seriousness and urgency
“To this end, the Government is actively engaging officials of the United States Embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados, to obtain formal clarification on the scope of the measures, the basis on which they were taken and the specific implications for Dominican travellers, students, families and other legitimate holders of U.S. visas,” the statement said.
In his latest executive order, Trump said that apart from Dominica, nationals from Antigua and Barbuda and Haiti would also be affected by the immigration policy.
He said that during his first administration, he had restricted the entry of certain foreign nationals into the United States to prevent national security and public safety threats from reaching our borders.
He said that the Supreme Court upheld these restrictions and, as a result, he reinstated these successful policies in his executive order of January 2025.
“It is the policy of the United States to protect its citizens from foreign nationals who intend to commit terrorist attacks, threaten our national security and public safety, incite hate crimes, or otherwise exploit the immigration laws for malevolent purposes.”
He said in an earlier proclamation that he had restricted the entry of foreign nationals into the United States from countries with deficient screening and vetting information to protect the national security and public safety of the United States and its people.
Trump said that most of the countries identified in the earlier proclamation, as well as others, continue to exhibit woeful inadequacies in screening, vetting, and the provision of information.
He stated that some of these countries have offered Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programs without requiring residency, which poses challenges for screening and vetting purposes.
Under the CBI programme, several Caribbean countries, including Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica, offer citizenship to foreign investors in return for making a substantial investment in the socio-economic development of these countries.
Trump said both Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica have “historically had CBI without residency” and that the entry into the United States of nationals of these two countries as immigrants, and as nonimmigrants on B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas, is hereby suspended.
He said consular officers shall reduce the validity for any other nonimmigrant visa issued to nationals of Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica “to the extent permitted by law.
Trump said in its latest executive order justifying the action taken against the Caribbean countries that “as an example, a foreign national from a country that is subject to travel restrictions could purchase CBI from a second country that is not subject to travel restrictions, obtain a passport in the citizenship of that second country, and subsequently apply for a United States visa for travel to the United States, thus evading the travel restrictions on his or her first country.
“ Additionally, United States law enforcement and the Department of State have found that, historically, CBI programmes have been susceptible to several risks. These risks include allowing an individual to conceal his or her identity and assets to circumvent travel restrictions or financial or banking restrictions,” he said.
In its statement, the Dominica government said that it “will continue to work closely with U.S. authorities to address any issues identified, to protect the interests of Dominican citizens and to ensure that accurate information is provided to the public.
“Further updates will be issued as soon as additional details are confirmed,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs added.
CMC/cj/ir/2025