Trinidad and Tobago ends state of emergency amid pushback over mass arrests

The government of Trinidad and Tobago has ended a recent state of emergency that had granted security forces wide powers, including the ability to detain people without charge. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced in parliament that the measures would not be extended and said the government will draft permanent legislation to address violent crime, gangs, illegal weapons and the financial networks that support criminal activity.

Persad-Bissessar said the proposed law would create a lasting legal framework for targeted operations while introducing safeguards for law-abiding citizens, judicial oversight and parliamentary accountability. The emergency measures had been used in a campaign the government described as aimed at cracking down on crime and threats to national security; iterations were first issued in 2024 and renewed in 2025 with subsequent extensions.

Rights groups and lawyers have criticized the mass-arrest campaign and the suspension of civil liberties under the emergencies. Authorities told parliament that more than 5,800 people have been arrested since a March extension; about 2,250 of those arrested have not been charged. Lawyers have reported restrictive conditions on attorney-client meetings for some detainees and warned of potential legal challenges and requests for investigations by regional human rights bodies.

The government has defended its approach by pointing to recent reductions in homicides after a record year in 2024. Police reported 624 killings in 2024 in the country of roughly 1.4 million people, a figure they say fell to 369 in 2025. Police also reported 255 killings so far this year, compared with 268 over the same period in 2025. The fate of those still detained but uncharged remains uncertain as the state of emergency ends and lawmakers consider permanent legislation.