By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

NEARLY two years after an Immigration Commission report identified systemic issues including detainee treatment, procedural inconsistencies, and oversight failures, the recommendations have yet to be implemented.

This comes as separate high-profile incidents involving alleged mistreatment by immigration officials continue to go unanswered.

The Immigration Commission, established to review practices within the immigration department, called for comprehensive reforms to improve accountability, enforce proper procedures, and protect the rights of detainees. Despite its findings, progress on implementing the report’s recommendations has been limited.

In July, a viral video showed 43-year-old Jarvin Green, a wheelchair-bound Jamaican man, being dragged across Shirley Street by plainclothes officers following a Supreme Court order for his release after he had been detained beyond the 90-day legal limit for deportation. Mr Green’s attorney raised concerns about his treatment while in detention, including prior allegations of abuse during his imprisonment.

Separately, in May, a viral video showed a man being choked and beaten by individuals dressed as immigration officers inside a private home. Bystanders were heard demanding his release. The incident attracted public attention, but a senior immigration official at the time said the department was aware of the videos but had not fully reviewed them.

The newly appointed Director of Immigration, Stephen LaRoda, has declined to comment on both the outstanding incidents and the broader report, leaving unresolved questions about accountability and transparency within the department.