White House Backs Off On Tariffs On Colombia After Agreement On ‘Unrestricted Acceptance’ Of Migrants

The White House announced Sunday night that Colombia had agreed to allow the United States to transport repatriated migrants back to the country after two U.S. military planes carrying deportees were blocked by Colombia earlier in the day, causing tensions between President Donald Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro.

Petro had refused to allow the U.S. planes to land, claiming the U.S. “can’t treat Colombian migrants like criminals.”

In response, Trump ordered “emergency 25% tariffs” on all Colombian imports, threatening to increase them to 50% in a week.

He also imposed a “travel ban” on Colombian citizens and revoked visas for Colombian officials in the U.S., stating, “These measures are just the beginning.”

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Hours later, President Petro threatened a 25% retaliatory tariff increase on the U.S. while criticizing Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on social media.

He objected to the use of military planes for deportations but left the possibility open for Colombia to accept deportees arriving on civilian flights.

Late Sunday evening, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the U.S. and Colombia had reached an agreement to allow the “unrestricted acceptance” of repatriated migrants, including on U.S. military aircraft.

She stated that economic sanctions and tariffs would be paused, but visa restrictions and stricter customs inspections of Colombian nationals and cargo would remain in place until the first group of Colombian deportees was successfully returned.

Colombian Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo later confirmed that U.S. deportation flights had resumed.

This dispute marked Trump’s first significant action against another country over his immigration policy since taking office.

Senator Marco Rubio explained that Colombian officials had initially approved the flights but revoked authorization once the planes were en route.

Petro denied giving any such approval and stated he would never allow Colombians to be brought back in handcuffs.

In retaliation for Colombia’s refusal, the U.S. Embassy in Bogota suspended visa processing, affecting both immigrant and non-immigrant visas.

Rubio also imposed travel sanctions on individuals responsible for blocking the deportation flights.

The visa restrictions on individuals from an allied country like Colombia are a rare and extraordinary step, typically reserved for adversaries or those committing human rights violations.

It remains unclear how many Colombian officials are affected by these sanctions.

Trump’s reaction to the situation marked the first major diplomatic clash over immigration in his second term.

A Trump administration official emphasized the U.S. would not tolerate such defiance, stating, “We’re going to make sure the world knows they can’t get away with being nonserious and deceptive.”

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