Colombia Reverses Course On Deportation Flights After Trump’s Tariff Threat
The White House has hailed the recent agreement with Colombia as a major victory for Trump’s hard-line approach to immigration. According to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, “Today’s events make clear to the world that America is respected again.”
Leavitt also stated that the tariffs and sanctions threatened against Colombia would be “held in reserve, and not signed, unless Colombia fails to honour this agreement.” Moreover, President Donald Trump “expects all other nations of the world to fully co-operate in accepting deportation of their citizens illegally present in the United States.”
At the heart of this dispute is Trump’s immigration policy, which prioritizes the removal of unlawful migrants from the US, promising “mass deportations.” The situation escalated when Colombian President Gustavo Petro posted on 𝕏 that he had “barred US planes carrying Colombian migrants from entering our territory” because “the US can’t treat Colombian migrants like criminals.”
Petro demanded that the US treat migrants with dignity and offered to send the presidential plane to transport them. However, he objected to the use of military flights, citing concerns over the treatment of migrants. Petro referenced a news video showing migrants deported to Brazil, who were handcuffed and had their feet restrained during the flight, stating that he would “never allow Colombians to be returned handcuffed on flights.”
Trump responded by threatening to impose 25% tariffs on Colombian goods, which would increase to 50% if Colombia didn’t comply within a week. He also imposed a travel ban and revoked visas for Colombian government officials “and all allies and supporters.” Trump warned that “these measures are just the beginning.”
Petro responded defiantly, saying he would match any US-imposed tariffs. “Your blockade does not scare me, because Colombia, besides being the country of beauty, is the heart of the world,” he wrote.
After a late-night news conference, Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo announced that Colombia would accept returned citizens, seemingly averting a trade war. However, the US will maintain visa restrictions on Colombian government officials until the first planeload of deportees lands in Colombia. Colombians arriving at US airports will also face greater scrutiny.
The situation highlights the complex relationship between immigration policy and international trade. As Democrat Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez noted, “remember: we pay the tariffs, not Colombia.” She also warned that “Trump is about to make every American pay even more for coffee.”
