THE MOST WIDELY CIRCUL ATED CARIBBEAN AMERICAN NEWSPAPER IN FLORIDA
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THURSDAY JANUARY 15, 2026
USPAVISAS U SED
Several Caribbean nations among 75 countries facing US visa pause
The U.S. State Department is temporarily pausing the processing of new immigrant visas for 75 countries, including several Caribbean nations, in an effort to tighten screening of applicants deemed likely to rely on public benefits, according to Fox News. It does not apply to applicants seeking nonimmigrant visas, temporary tourist or business visas.
The pause, set to begin Jan. 21, will continue indefinitely as the department reassesses its procedures for vetting visa applicants. The guidance instructs consular officers to deny visas to individuals judged likely to become a “public charge,” considering factors such as age, health, finances, English proficiency, and potential longterm medical needs. Those who have previously received government assistance or institutional care may also be denied. A “public charge” is a term used in U.S. immigration law to describe someone who is considered likely to rely primarily on government assistance (like welfare, food stamps, or long-term medical care paid by the state) to support themselves. continues on A5 – US Visas paused
Cervera calls for DOGE audit into district's spending Broward County School Board Member Adam Cervera has called on state officials to conduct “a full scale review” of the district’s finances, following Governor Ron DeSantis’s characterization of the sixth-largest school district in the country as a “disaster” and his suggestion that a state takeover may be necessary. “We need transparency, we need accountability and we need to have the confidence that this mismanagement will not be ignored or swept under the rug,” Cervera told reporters Tuesday, briefly
stepping away from a school board workshop. On Monday, Gov. DeSantis, who appointed Cervera to the board, criticized the district for being run to benefit “the entrenched interests, particularly the school unions, rather than the parents and the students,” and said the state should consider taking control to correct what he described as budget mismanagement. Cervera pointed to a series of recent financial missteps that have come to light, including a sudden withdrawal from an office-space lease worth nearly $3 million that resulted in a lawsuit, misallocated teacher referendum funds, and a “botched multimillion-dollar procurement process” intended to select continues on B2 – DOGE Audit
“This crisis is not the result of bad luck. This is the result of years of mismanagement, wasteful spending, and a complete lack of proper oversight and it has only gotten worse in just the past few months. We've seen scandal after scandal.” – Cervera
W H AT ’ S I N S I D E
NEWSMAKER Former Jamaican UN Ambassador Curtis Ward dies at home in Maryland a3
CARIBBEAN JCF conrms receipt and deployment of 1,000 body-worn cameras a5
WOMEN IN FOCUS Minister Audrey Marks receives 2026 Golden Heart Award A8
ENTERTAINMENT Dancehall artist Chronic Law listed in ICE custody, records show B5