Bajan on US Worst of the Worst list

By Natanga Smith natangasmith@nationnews.com

The name of a Barbadian national has surfaced on a newly expanded United States (US) Department of Homeland Security (DHS) public database that lists some of the most serious criminal non-citizens arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

American officials have intensified a high-profile immigration enforcement campaign they say is focused on transparency and public safety.

The Barbadian, Vince Ellis, convicted of robbery, burglary and a weapons offence and arrested in Alden, New York, is among more than 15 000 individuals now featured on the DHS Worst Of The Worst website, following a major update on Thursday that added another 5 000 names.

The searchable online database allows the public to view the nationalities, arrest locations and criminal histories of those detained and removed, with offences ranging from assault and robbery to homicide, rape, kidnapping and terrorism.

When contacted about Ellis, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Kerrie Symmonds said: “I have to tell you I’m not aware of it.”

Asked if any Barbadians have been sent home since the US started its mass deportation campaign, the minister said: “I am not in the habit of conducting the affairs of this nation by speculating on the content of social media platforms. Many unverified, unreliable and misleading pieces of information have found their way into these platforms. If and when the American government is ready to execute a deportation of a Barbadian citizen, they will reach out to the Barbados Government through formal channels and then our national security team, together with the Immigration Department, will manage the repatriation process. No such communication has been made with the Government of Barbados.”

US officials say the release and expansion of the Worst Of The Worst list is intended to demonstrate the scale and focus of enforcement actions under President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, particularly the targeting of individuals with serious criminal records.

‘Valuable tool’ “The new Worst Of The Worst website is a valuable tool that lets Americans know which dangerous criminal illegal aliens the Trump administration has removed from their communities,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.

“This new update represents just a small sample of the total number of arrests we’ve made – 70 per cent of ICE arrests are of criminal illegal aliens that have been charged or convicted of a crime in the United States.”

According to DHS, Americans can see “for themselves the criminal illegal aliens that we are arresting, what crimes they committed and what communities we removed them from”.

In a statement accompanying the update, the department said that “under Secretary Noem’s leadership, the hardworking men and women of DHS and ICE are fulfilling President Trump’s promise and carrying out mass deportations – starting with the worst of the worst”.

While the majority of those listed come from a wide cross-section of countries worldwide, several Caribbean nationals appear on the database alongside the Barbadian. Among them are two each from Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica and St Kitts, four from St Lucia, 13 from Trinidad and Tobago, and 15 from Guyana. There are also 69 Jamaican nationals – one of whom was arrested in Florida after convictions for lewd or lascivious acts with a minor – and 27 Bahamian nationals, the majority convicted of smuggling aliens and with one previously convicted of carjacking and strong-arm robbery in Miami-Dade County.

DHS officials say these cases form part of broader enforcement operations conducted across multiple US states, including large-scale actions in Minnesota, California and other major jurisdictions.

The department maintains that those highlighted on the website have documented criminal histories involving violent or serious offences, and insists the initiative is about accountability and transparency.

However, the list has also drawn criticism from immigration advocates and some local officials in affected US cities, who argue that the “worst of the worst” label may be overly broad and risks conflating immigration enforcement with broader public safety concerns.

Despite the debate, DHS says the database will continue to grow as arrests and removals proceed, with regular updates planned.

Vince Ellis’ mugshot on the Department

of Homeland Security website. (GP)