Deportation flights from the US to Colombia resume following showdown that almost led to a trade war
Deportation flights from the US to Colombia resume following showdown that almost led to a trade war
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Deportation flights between the U.S. and Colombia resumed on Tuesday, following a dispute between the two countries that nearly led to a trade war. The diplomatic drama, which began over the weekend, provided clues on how the Trump administration would deal with countries standing in the way of its immigration policies.
Two Colombian air force planes carrying more than 200 migrants who were expelled from the U.S. landed at Bogota’s International Airport on Tuesday. President Gustavo Petro welcomed the migrants in a message on X, saying they are now “free” and “in a country that loves them.”.
“Migrants are not delinquents” Petro wrote. “They are human beings who want to work and get ahead in life.”. The disagreement between both nations started on Sunday when Petro turned back two U.S. military flights carrying more than 100 migrants who had been expelled from the United States.
Petro also shared a video on X at the time that showed another group of deportees reportedly arriving in Brazil with shackles on their legs. He wrote on the social media platform that Colombia would only accept deportation flights when the United States had established protocols that ensured the “dignified treatment” of expelled migrants.
U.S. President Donald Trump responded with a post of his own on Truth Social, in which he called for 25% emergency tariffs on Colombian exports to the United States, and also said that the U.S. visas of Colombian government officials would be revoked, while goods coming from the South American country would face enhanced customs inspections.
