The Colombian government “agreed to all” of President Donald Trump’s terms regarding the “unrestricted acceptance of all illegal aliens from Colombia” who are being deported from the United States.
In a press release, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt explained that based on the agreement, “fully drafted IEEPA tariffs and sanctions” would be “held in reserve” and not signed unless the Colombia government failed to honor the agreement.
Leavitt added that “visa sanctions” issued by the State Department would remain in place “until the first planeload of Colombian deportees is successfully returned.” Leavitt also noted that “today’s events make clear to the world that America is respected again.” The press release comes after Colombian President Gustavo Petro backed down on refusing to accept two deportation flights from the U.S. and said he would “send his presidential plane to personally pick up the deported migrants.”
“The government of Colombia has agreed to all of President Trump’s terms, including the unrestricted acceptance of all illegal aliens from Colombia returned from the United States, including on U.S. military aircraft, without limitation or delay,” Leavitt said in a statement. “Based on this agreement, the fully drafted IEEPA tariffs and sanctions will be held in reserve, and not signed, unless Colombia fails to honor this agreement.”
🚨The Government of Colombia has agreed to all of President Trump’s terms pic.twitter.com/mQocusSGOC
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) January 27, 2025
“The visa sanctions issued by the State Department, and enhanced inspections from Customs and Border Protection, will remain in effect until the first planeload of Colombian deportees is successfully returned,” Leavitt added in her statement. “Today’s events make clear to the world that America is respected again. President Trump will continue to fiercely protect our nation’s sovereignty, and he expects all other nations of the world to fully cooperate in accepting the deportation of their citizens illegally present in the United States.”
In response to Petro criticizing the U.S. for treating “Colombian migrants as criminals,” and announcing that he was refusing “entry of American planes carrying Colombian migrants” until the U.S. established “a protocol for the dignified treatment of migrants,” Trump intervened and threatened to impose several measures such as 25 percent tariffs “on all goods” coming into the U.S.
Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social that he had directed his “Administration to immediately take the following urgent and decisive retaliatory measures”:
-Emergency 25% tariffs on all goods coming into the United States. In one week, the 25% tariffs will be raised to 50%.
-A Travel Ban and immediate Visa Revocations on the Colombian Government Officials, and all Allies and Supporters.
-Visa Sanctions on all Party Members, Family Members, and Supporters of the Colombian Government.
-Enhanced Customs and Border Protection Inspections of all Colombian Nationals and Cargo on national security grounds.
-IEEPA Treasury, Banking and Financial Sanctions to be fully imposed.
In a post on X, the State Department also previously revealed that in the aftermath of Petro’s “refusal to accept two repatriation flight he previously authorized,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio “immediately ordered a suspension of visa issuance at the U.S. Embassy Bogota consular section,” and that Rubio was authorizing “travel sanctions on individuals and their families, who were responsible for the interference of U.S. repatriation flight operations.”
