DHS Signs Memorandum of Cooperation Strengthening Border Security and Immigration Vetting with Partners in the Caribbean
The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) that establishes a Biometric Data Sharing Partnership (BDSP) with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS).
The MOC was signed on July 10, 2026, in Washington, D.C. by Rob Law, Under Secretary of Strategy, Policy, & Plans for DHS, and Lieutenant Colonel Michael Jones, Executive Director for CARICOM IMPACS. The signing ceremony was hosted by the Ambassador of Saint Kitts and Nevis and attended by representatives from Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB). Officials from the U.S. Homeland Security Council and the U.S. Department of State were also present.
Under Secretary Rob Law stated, “The signing of this memorandum of cooperation marks DHS’s first multilateral biometric information-sharing arrangement. This will strengthen cooperation between DHS and CARICOM IMPACS on border security and immigration vetting. DHS welcomes this new partnership to strengthen security across the region.”
The MOC lays out a framework for automated queries and exchanges of data to aid in the screening, vetting, and investigation of individuals who may present security or immigration risks to both the United States and CARICOM Member States and Associate Members.
Additionally, the MOC addresses the Eastern Caribbean’s Citizenship-by-Investment (CBI) programs. U.S. Presidential Proclamation 10998 imposes certain visa restrictions on Citizenship-by-Investment nationals, indicating that purchased citizenship can be used to evade travel restrictions or to obscure identity and assets. The information obtained through the BDSP program is expected to enhance vetting practices concerning these risks while maintaining existing visa and immigration authorities.
DHS and CARICOM IMPACS aim to operationalize the BDSP MOC by the close of the calendar year.