GUYANESE SOCIAL MEDIA BLOGGER DETAINED AMID TRUMP IMMIGRATION SWEEP

NEW YORK, March 19, 2025 — In what appears to be the latest casualty of the Trump administration's renewed immigration crackdown targeting Latin Americans and Caribbean nationals with alleged criminal connections, Guyanese social media activist Melissa Atwell-Holder, better known as "Melly Mel," was apprehended from her New York home by U.S. Department of Homeland Security agents on March 13, raising questions about international political pressure and the boundaries of online activism.

Atwell-Holder, whose relentless social media campaigns exposed alleged corruption within the Guyana Government, has been transferred to Richwood Correctional Center in Louisiana following her initial detention. The specific complaints against her remain shrouded in ambiguity, though sources suggest her arrest may stem from immigration irregularities predating her marriage and subsequent status adjustment.

The detention has sparked a groundswell of support in Guyana, where opposition figures and supporters gathered at the Square of the Revolution for a protest on Tuesday. The demonstration saw prominent opposition leaders, including Aubrey Norton and Nigel Hughes of the People's National Congress (PNC) and Alliance for Change (AFC), in attendance to show solidarity and call for Atwell-Holder's release.

Many of her advocates contend that her arrest was precipitated by complaints filed by the Guyana Government, which had previously accused her of numerous cybercrimes related to her social media revelations.

While Atwell-Holder has been permitted contact with family and friends, her legal future remains uncertain. She is expected to face a U.S. Immigration Judge in June, though a bond hearing may occur sooner. Her detention status was confirmed on the Department of Homeland Security website, listing her under her married name, Melissa Ann Holder.

The controversy surrounding her case deepened in November 2024, when Guyana's Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, filed a $100 million defamation lawsuit against Atwell. The suit alleges she posted "malicious and fabricated content" questioning Nandlall's integrity and fitness for public office, with the apparent intent to damage his professional standing and reputation.

Sources close to the situation report that U.S. Homeland Security agents questioned Atwell-Holder about her online activism and the complaints lodged by the Guyanese government. While her supporters initially characterized the incident as mere questioning or detention, reliable U.S. sources confirm she was formally arrested, suggesting more serious allegations.

Adding another layer of complexity to the case are reported connections between Atwell-Holder and the Mohameds of Lombard Street, Georgetown—a family recently sanctioned by the United States' Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

From her New York residence, Atwell-Holder had built a reputation for what critics describe as "unleashing social media wrath" on perceived adversaries, often exposing intimate personal matters while claiming protection under the U.S. Constitution. This digital activism made her both a celebrated whistleblower to supporters and a cyberbully to detractors.

As her case unfolds against the backdrop of the Trump administration's intensified deportation efforts, ripples of concern have spread throughout Caribbean immigrant communities.

Members of the Caribbean diaspora have grown increasingly vigilant, keeping watchful eyes for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in their neighborhoods. Many have preemptively engaged immigration lawyers to be on standby, regardless of their status—whether as naturalized citizens or green card holders with permanent residence in the U.S.

The case raises critical questions about the intersection of immigration enforcement, international political pressure, and the evolving legal boundaries of digital activism in cross-border contexts, while simultaneously highlighting the growing anxiety within immigrant communities facing an uncertain future.

A source close to Atwell-Holder indicates she is cooperating fully with U.S. law enforcement officials as she awaits her hearing.

In a pointed response to the protests, Attorney General Nandlall deflected responsibility away from the Guyanese government. "It's the U.S. government enforcing their immigration laws, not us. They should be protesting the U.S. government, not us," Nandlall stated, suggesting that demonstrators had misdirected their frustrations toward Guyana rather than American immigration authorities.

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