The US has called off its plan to impose tariffs on Colombia after the two countries reached an agreement on deporting migrants. The deal comes after a tense standoff between US President Donald Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who had barred two US military deportation flights from landing in Colombia on Sunday.
According to the White House, Colombia has agreed to accept migrants arriving on US military aircraft “without limitation or delay.” This concession marks a significant shift from Petro’s initial stance, where he insisted that migrants should be returned “with dignity and respect” on civilian planes.
The dispute began when Trump ordered 25% tariffs on all Colombian goods in response to Petro’s refusal to accept the deportation flights. Petro retaliated by announcing his own tariffs and celebrating Colombia’s heritage on social media. However, within hours, the two sides appeared to have resolved the row, with the White House claiming that Colombia had agreed to “all of President Trump’s demands.”
The agreement has been hailed as a victory for Trump’s hard-line approach to immigration. However, critics argue that the deal undermines the dignity and human rights of migrants. Colombian Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo assured that the country would “continue to receive Colombians who return as deportees, guaranteeing them decent conditions, as citizens subject to rights.”
The feud between the two nations is part of a broader immigration dispute. Trump’s administration has vowed to carry out “mass deportations,” and the president has signed executive orders expanding Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) ability to arrest and detain unlawful migrants. The US Congress has also passed the Laken Riley Act, which will greatly expand immigration authorities’ power to detain migrants. Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has criticized the bill, saying it represents a “fundamental erosion of civil rights.” ¹
