The recent arrest of Melissa “Melly Mel” Atwell by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has motivated opportunistic government critics to attribute her case to the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government.
But Attorney-at-Law James Bond has rightly labelled that these are misleading and perilous claims, insisting that ICE’s actions are driven by immigration policies and not political scores.
It is essential that Guyanese citizens distinguish fact from fiction in this matter.

Atwell has been detained in Louisiana awaiting an immigration hearing to be conducted in June.
Despite government interference claims, there is no evidence to show that the PPP/C government had a hand in her detention. Instead, it appears to be her status as a lawful resident in the U.S. that is in question, with Attorney General Anil Nandlall stating that the actions of ICE are solely a case of enforcing U.S. immigration policies.

The action of the opposition to politicise Atwell’s detention not only diverts from the real issue of immigration, but also weakens the integrity of political discourse in Guyana.
Through their focus on unsubstantiated claims against the government, they divert attention from the intricacy of U.S. immigration regulations that led to Atwell’s situation.
Guyanese citizens must be well informed and not tricked by misinformation that keeps the issue in obscurity.

As Bond aptly argued, if the opposition must protest, they must take such demonstrations against the U.S. authorities and not the PPP/C government. This way, we can ensure that the discussion remains reality-oriented and focused on the actual reasons for Atwell’s detention.