होमPoliticsWhite House States Colombia Will Accept Deported Migrants After Trump Tariff Negotiations

White House States Colombia Will Accept Deported Migrants After Trump Tariff Negotiations

BOGOTA, Colombia — The White House claimed victory Sunday in a tense standoff with Colombia over its acceptance of deported migrants from the U.S., following a threat from President Donald Trump to impose steep tariffs and other sanctions on the long-time ally.

The U.S. and Colombia, traditionally close partners in anti-narcotics efforts, found themselves at odds over the deportation of migrants and retaliatory tariffs on each other’s goods. The White House highlighted the episode as a warning to other nations that might challenge Trump’s hardline immigration policies.

RELATED NEWS : Colombian President Petro Blocks U.S. Deportation Flights Amid Growing Regional Backlash

Earlier in the day, President Trump announced sweeping measures, including visa restrictions and 25% tariffs on all Colombian imports—set to increase to 50% within a week—after Colombian President Gustavo Petro refused to accept two U.S. military flights carrying deported migrants. Petro accused Trump of disrespecting immigrants’ dignity during deportation, escalating the dispute by announcing a 25% tariff increase on U.S. imports. Trump defended his measures as necessary to protect U.S. national security, stating on Truth Social, “We will not allow the Colombian Government to violate its legal obligations regarding the acceptance and return of criminals they forced into the United States.”

By late Sunday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that Colombia had agreed to all of Trump’s demands, including the unrestricted acceptance of deported migrants via U.S. military aircraft. Leavitt noted that while the tariff orders would be held in reserve, visa restrictions on Colombian officials and enhanced customs inspections of Colombian goods would remain in place until the first deportation flight landed successfully.

Colombian officials also confirmed the resolution. “We have overcome the impasse with the United States government,” Colombian Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo stated, adding that Colombia’s presidential aircraft was now available to ensure the return of migrants under dignified conditions.

The conflict had escalated earlier when U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio imposed visa restrictions on Colombian officials deemed responsible for blocking deportation flights and suspended visa processing at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota. Petro, in response, reiterated that deported migrants must be treated with dignity, sharing a video of migrants reportedly deported to Brazil in hand and foot restraints as an example of the treatment he opposed.

Colombia, a critical U.S. ally and the fourth-largest overseas supplier of crude oil to the United States, has faced increasing tensions with Washington since Petro, a former guerrilla, became the country’s first leftist president in 2022. Colombia ranked fifth among nations receiving U.S. deportation flights, accepting 124 flights in 2024 alone.

This latest standoff underscores the shifting dynamics between the two countries as the Trump administration continues to push its aggressive immigration agenda. Two U.S. Air Force C-17 planes carrying deported migrants recently landed in Guatemala, while Honduras received two flights carrying 193 people, showcasing Trump’s broader efforts to fulfill campaign promises on illegal immigration.

Colombia has traditionally been a strategic partner in Latin America, not only in counter-narcotics efforts but also as a supplier of crude oil and fresh-cut flowers to the U.S. However, Sunday’s events mark a significant test of the long-standing relationship between the two nations.


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