The agreement enables biometric data sharing between the U.S. and CARICOM to improve border security and immigration vetting.
Dominica has joined six Eastern Caribbean countries to sign a landmark Border Security Agreement with the United States to strengthen border and national security. The agreement establishes a Biometric Data Sharing Partnership (BDSP) between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and CARICOM IMPACS.
The Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) was formally signed by Lieutenant Colonel Michael Jones, the Executive Director of CARICOM IMPACS and Rob Law, Under Secretary of Strategy, Policy, and Plans (PLCY) for DHS on Friday, July 10, 2026.
According to the DHS, the agreement allows the U.S. and CARICOM member states to automatically exchange data to identify and investigate individuals who may pose a security or immigration risk to participating countries.
The Biometric Data Sharing Partnership is expected to be fully operational by the end of the year.
During the signing ceremony, Under Secretary Rob Law welcomed the partnership, noting that the pact is the department’s first of its kind. Law further highlighted that it will play a key role in enhancing security across the region by strengthening border security and immigration vetting cooperation.
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, stated Rob Law.
The signing ceremony took place in Washington D.C. where the Ambassador of St. Kitts and Nevis was the host. Present during the ceremony were representatives from Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Saint Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB).
Moreover, representatives from the U.S. Homeland Security Council (HSC) and the U.S. Department of State were also in attendance.