Jamaican dad moves family from US as war fears grow

For more than a decade, Daniel built what many Jamaicans would consider a dream life in the US.

But as hostilities between that country and Iran escalated, and uncertainty rippled through everyday life, the Jamaica-born father of two decided to uproot his family and return to his home parish of St Mary, where he now plans to rebuild through farming.

"I did not want to be in a position where things escalate and I have no control over getting my family out," Daniel said. "I would rather leave early than regret waiting."

"When things start to shift like this, you have to think differently," he said. "Because at any moment, everything you have built can change overnight."

Daniel's journey to the US began through his marriage to an American woman. Together, they raised their two children, age six and four, within a system that promised structure, opportunity, and upward mobility.

Daniel said he held a corporate position at a well-known company, with a stable income and many benefits.

"On paper, everything was in place," Daniel told THE WEEKEND STAR. "A good job, a stable life, a clear path forward and it's funny because this is what most people run here for."

But he opined that the idea many Jamaicans hold about life abroad is often incomplete.

"There is a perception that living overseas is a perfect situation, that once you get there, everything falls into place. And while there are real opportunities, people do not always talk about how quickly things can become uncertain, or how little control you sometimes have."

As tensions escalated between the US and Iran, with military strikes, retaliatory threats, and disruptions to global shipping, Daniel said the situation no longer felt distant.

"This is not a conventional kind of warfare," Daniel explained. "It is strategic. It involves disruption, supply chains, shipping routes, economic pressure. It creates instability without necessarily being confined to one place."

"You begin to understand that even if it is not happening directly around you, you are still affected," he added.

Once flight prices started increasing, Daniel reasoned that "people are thinking ahead", and his thoughts of getting out while he could increased. The reality became deeply personal one night.

"My son walked in while the news was on and asked me why they kept talking about bombs," Daniel said. "In that moment, I realised I could not explain it to him in a way that felt reassuring. You try to protect your children from fear. But when the world becomes uncertain, that fear finds its way in."

His wife gave voice to what they had both been considering.

"She said to me, 'Daniel, we have somewhere to go. Why are we waiting?'"

The US and Israel launched a major offensive against Iran in late February, targeting nuclear and military sites, triggering retaliatory missile strikes from Iran and escalating into a wider regional war. Last June, Israel, backed by the US, launched major air strikes against Iranian nuclear and military facilities. Iran responded within hours with large-scale missile and drone attacks on Israeli cities.

Last week, the Federal Bureau of Investigations in the US warned police departments in California that Iran could retaliate for American attacks by launching drones at the West Coast. Daniel, who lived in New Jersey, which is located on the East Coast of the US, said he has been uneasy about the situation and has decided it was best to return to Jamaica.

Now back on the rock, Daniel is not trying to recreate the life he left behind. He intends to do farming in St Mary, a move rooted in both familiarity and intention.

"I am not running away," he said. "I am choosing a life that makes sense, especially for my children."

"It was not an easy decision, because you are not just leaving a place, you are walking away from everything you worked to build."

Daniel, who only returned to Jamaica twice after migrating, said he is now finalising arrangements for a permanent home in St Mary. In the meantime, the family is staying with relatives in Kingston, and he appears to have no regrets about uprooting his family to return to his roots.

"It is a different pace of life and that takes getting used to but for some reason I feel safer," he said.