It is time to act now and in the best interests of the people.

Dear Premier and Elected Members of Cabinet

I am writing to you to express my disappointment regarding the recent decision by His Excellency the Governor to grant Turks and Caicos Islands Status to 49 individuals. As I mentioned to the Governor in a separate correspondence, it is not about the individuals, it is about her not sending those applications back to the Commission which will be in line with our law and the ruling of the court.

I must admit at first, I thought all of you remained quiet when the Governor informed you of her decision to grant these statues to the individuals.  However, I was pleased to read in the most recent press release that you informed the Governor that you did not support the grant of Turks and Caicos Status to many of those individuals.

You mentioned that the “legal circumstances that existed when the applications were considered gave the Governor almost unfettered authority to grant Status.” I think we are all aware that the Governor has the ultimate authority to grant status, but it seems to me that we are ignoring the fact that the Governor did not send those applications back to the Commission for reconsideration and this also was and still is the legal circumstances that exist.

I trust that the Governor’s decision to disregard your concerns and refrain from returning those applications to the Commission serves as a wake-up call to you.  It’s time to stop feeling intimidated and stop appeasing these governors.  I am aware you must work with the Governor in cabinet and the decisions require consensus, but you must stand up for what you believe in even if it means not getting consensus in Cabinet. This may also require you to boycott cabinet, so a clear message is sent.

You announced that the TCI Status Ordinance review will start immediately, possibly including the Governor’s removal. Three weeks ago, you notified the Governor about your lack of support for many of the applicants. Could you clarify why the review did not start at that time? What do you mean by immediate?

Anyway, I request you to not only review the TCI Status Ordinance but the Immigration Ordinance too. Our TCI Status Ordinance is too lenient. I get it that individuals who have been here for years and have assimilated and integrated with the people want to get the status and quite frankly some of them deserve it.  However, there are others who simply do not care about us, nor do they assimilate with us and therefore the Status Commission must be empowered to use a measurable criterion to make decisions on who should be awarded status. Getting a status should not be automatic, it should be privileged and should involve the people not the Governor. This will ensure the voice of the people is not overshadowed by unilateral actions from appointed officials.

Our Immigration Ordinance must also be tightened and there should be a limit on the number of times a work permit can be renewed consecutively. Take a chapter out of Cayman Islands Immigration Ordinance.

Finally, thank you for your service and attention to this matter of national importance. I look forward to your leadership in defending the rights and identity of the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands.