WASHINGTON ― President Donald Trump is holding off imposing tariffs and sanctions he threatened on Colombia after Colombian President Gustavo Petro agreed to the “unrestricted acceptance” of U.S. military flights deporting Colombian migrants, the White House said.
The agreement followed a feud Sunday between the U.S. and Colombia over Trump’s mass deportations of migrants that risked becoming a trade war, with both sides promising new tariffs on goods coming from the other country.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Colombia agreed to “all of President Trump’s terms” including accepting Colombian migrants returned from the United States on U.S. military aircraft.
“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,” Leavitt said in a statement late Sunday.
The deportation showdown started Sunday morning after Petro accused the Trump administration of treating Colombian migrants “like criminals,” pointing to images of handcuffed detainees. He said his country wouldn’t accept deportation flights from the U.S. unless migrants are “treated with the dignity that a human being deserves.”
After learning of two repatriation flights that weren’t allowed to land in Colombia, Trump said he would immediately slap 25% tariffs on all goods coming into the U.S. from the South American country and raise it to 50% after one week.
“These measures are just the beginning,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social earlier Sunday. “We will not allow the Colombian Government to violate its legal obligations with regard to the acceptance and return of the Criminals they forced into the United States!”
Trump also announced the immediate revocation of visas and a travel ban to the U.S. for Colombian government officials and their allies and supporters, along with heightened customs and border protection inspections of all Colombian nationals and cargo on national security grounds.
Leavitt said the visa restrictions and enhanced inspections will remain in effect until the first planeload of Colombian deportees is successfully returned to Colombia.
Shortly after Trump’s tariff threats, Petro said he would provide a presidential plane for the “dignified return” of Colombian migrants who face deportations from the U.S. Petro said he ordered his trade minister to increase Colombian tariffs on U.S. goods by 25%.
The tit-for-tat came as Trump is seeking to aggressively act on his promise of mass deportations of immigrants in the country illegally. During his first week in office, Trump declared a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border and ordered U.S. troops to help carry out deportations, which has resulted in deportees flying back to their home countries in handcuffs.
“The US cannot treat Colombian migrants as criminals,” Petro wrote in a Sunday morning series of posts on X that triggered Trump’s initial actions. “I deny the entry of American planes carrying Colombian migrants into our territory. The United States must establish a protocol for the dignified treatment of migrants before we receive them.”
The largest U.S. imports from Colombia include crude oil, coffee, and cut flowers, according to the State Department. Trump has discussed plans to impose tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China as he uses tariffs as leverage to achieve his foreign policy aims.
Trump presidency:As countries push back on deportations, Trump trades words, threats
Multiple Latin American countries have pushed back at Trump’s militarized deportations.
Brazil has also condemned the conditions in which deportees have been returned. And last week, Mexico refused to accept a deportation flight for the first time in decades.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement defending the deportation policy and demanding cooperation from Latin American nations.
“President Trump has made it clear that under his administration, America will no longer be lied to nor taken advantage of. It is the responsibility of each nation to take back their citizens who are illegally present in the United States in a serious and expeditious manner,” Rubio said.
“Colombian President Petro had authorized flights and provided all needed authorizations and then canceled his authorization when the planes were in the air,” Rubio added. “As demonstrated by today’s actions, we are unwavering in our commitment to end illegal immigration and bolster America’s border security.”
Contributing: Lauren Villagran
Reach Joey Garrison X @joeygarrison.
