The White Home mentioned late Sunday that the federal government of Colombia has agreed to take deportation flights of migrants from the nation, hours after President Donald Trump threatened tariffs and visa restrictions.
Migrants will likely be returned to Colombia on army plane “with out limitation and delay,” White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt mentioned in a press release.
The late-night declaration of victory by the White Home caps a tumultuous day of threats lobbed backwards and forwards between the international locations’ two leaders on social media. The showdown, lower than one week into Trump’s second time period, previewed one of many main challenges he’ll face in implementing his sweeping immigration agenda, as he works to extend the variety of deportations.
The White Home mentioned the emergency tariffs and sanctions Trump threatened earlier within the day had been totally drafted and will likely be held — however not signed — until Colombia doesn’t uphold the settlement. The visa sanctions imposed by the State Division, in addition to elevated inspections from Customs and Border Safety, will stay in place till the primary aircraft of Colombian migrants are returned.
“At the moment’s occasions clarify to the world that America is revered once more. President Trump will proceed to fiercely defend our nation’s sovereignty, and he expects all different nations of the world to totally cooperate in accepting the deportation of their residents illegally current in the USA,” Leavitt mentioned.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro reposted the press secretary’s statement on X.
The spat began after Petro turned away two U.S. army plane filled with detained Colombian migrants, calling for a “dignified return” of deportees not “handcuffed and on army craft.” Trump rapidly responded with a put up on X, saying he was hitting the nation with an emergency 25 % tariff on all items imported from Colombia, visa restrictions, a journey ban, enhanced border patrol inspections and monetary sanctions.
