Reminiscing about Guyanese Deportations from USA then and now

Dec 19, 2025 Letters

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Dear Editor,

Reference is drawn to your news report about eight violent Guyanese being arrested in USA and set for deportation (KN Dec 15). Deportations today are quite different from fifty years ago.

Last week deportees have been on a wanted list for various serious crimes. Last June, seven Guyanese criminals were also deported returning to Guyana on a special plane (KN Jun 12). Between then and now, hundreds of illegal Guyanese were deported, some opting for self-deportation hoping they will be allowed to return to USA legally as promised by the Trump Administration. The administration has been giving US$1000 to any illegal to self-deport.

The Guyana government has accepted the deportees, some of whom were convicted of various serious crimes. In earlier period, illegals were not encouraged or paid to self deport. Many among those deported in earlier periods were able to make it back to USA and with regularized status. Some Guyanese ratted on illegals for a fee.

There are over twelve millions illegals, including thousands of Guyanese, in USA. Some are in process for green cards. The administration has cracked down on undocumented or illegals, deporting hundreds of thousands since President Trump was sworn in last January. Anti-American foreign students are also being rounded up for deportation. There are hundreds of Guyanese foreign students; none are known to engage in anti-American activities. There have been immigration ICE raids in various immigrant communities including where Guyanese are settled in New York, New Jersey, and Florida at their homes, places of business, and where they tend to shop and socialise. Several Guyanese were picked up and deported or awaiting deportation in holding centers or waiting to see judges. Guyanese immigrant advocates have been advising not to open doors or allow ICE agents into their properties without a warrant from a judge. They are also advised not resist arrest.

In recent months, ICE raided job sites and locations where immigrants tend to gather for daily work. It is not known how many Guyanese were picked up, but raids are ongoing including in Richmond Hill. Places of worship and senior centers have been spared. Rum shops and restaurants have also not been targeted. But Guyanese, undocumented and those with status, are fearful of going out, afraid of getting caught up in unannounced raids and sent to detention centers for deportation. Illegals are careful where they seek employment. Even those in private construction or cottage industries or roti shops are fearful of going to work.

The ICE raids are reminiscent of similar raids during the 1970s and 1980s with a major difference. Now, ICE has some clues of where illegals reside including addresses of immigrants and wanted illegal criminals and have carried out raids accordingly to arrest them. They have raided job and construction sites known to hire immigrants. Tenements in minority neighborhoods where illegals resided were also raided. In contrast, during the 1970s and 1980s, in addition to regular job and residential raid in minority communities, agents offered a fee per head for reports and arrests of illegals. Incentivized by the fees, a few opportunistic Guyanese ratted on their illegal families, friends, former neighbors in Guyana collecting bounties. Many undocumented Guyanese were picked up as a result of (ratting) reports from fellow Guyanese. Some of us provided assistance to illegal Guyanese including regularizing their status. Chuck Mohan consistently rallied for immigrants.

The Guyanese ‘rats’ were not dissimilar from the ‘arkatiyas’ who sold out their brethren in India for indenture and those slave catchers in Africa who sold fellow Africans into slavery. I am informed that two arkatiyas are presently in the employ of the government of Guyana, one in USA and one in Georgetown. They express or show no shame or regret or remorse for ratting on their fellow immigrants who came to America to make an honest living and sending handouts to help their poor families back home. The pieces of silver were more important to them than the lives of brethren. The arkaitya in Georgetown also ratted on the political activities of a few of us who were involved in the struggle against the dictatorship. In 1988, he reported a few of us to the administration of the university where we were studying informing that we were involved in political activism.

Our Professors gave us his name, for who a job and position was more important than the liberation of a nation. Instead of disciplining us, the Professors offered sympathy, solidarity, and encouragement to carry on with the struggle, and they advised that we be careful of activities and traitors of our goal. When we were students at CIty College, a few members of our Indo Club reported us to the administration for spending club funds on political activities instead of social parties; we were reprimanded. They wanted the money for parties while spent it on political activities relating to Guyana. We were determined to restore democratic governance in Guyana and remained unrelenting in our struggle for free and fair elections. The arkatiyas have jobs today because the country is liberated thanks to the contributions of our struggle.

Guyanese who committed crimes in USA should be deported. Guyanese of all status, undocumented, legal, citizens, students, visitors. etc. are advised not to run foul of the laws. Once arrested, they could be subjected to immigration court and candidates for deportation.

Yours truly,
Vishnu Bisram

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• deportation, Letters, Vishnu Bisram

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