Donald Trump issued a strong message to Central and South American nations on Sunday regarding his deportation plan. He warned that if these countries do not cooperate, he will send flights of deported migrants back to their specific countries.
Taking to his Truth Social account, the president declared a 25 percent tariff on all goods originating from Colombia. This penalty is set to increase to 50 percent within the span of one week.
It came after Colombia refused to let two U.S. Military flights full of migrants land on their soil on Sunday.
In response, Colombian President Gustavo Petro stated on Sunday morning that he would not permit the U.S. to land military aircraft carrying migrants in his country.
Petro made good on that promise when he revoked the ability for the military aircraft to land when they approached Colombian air space on Sunday with flights full of their citizens.
Trump, in retaliation for the order, immediately announced sanctions against the South American country and its government officials.
‘I have directed my Administration to immediately take the following urgent and decisive retaliatory measures,’ Trump wrote on his social media account on Sunday.
He announced the tariffs, as well as his imposition of ‘A Travel Ban and immediate Visa Revocations on the Colombian Government Officials, and all Allies and Supporters.’
All ‘party members, family members, and supporters of the Colombian government’ also will face visa sanctions, according to Trump’s social media announcement.
Donald Trump ordered sanctions on Colombia after it refused to allow U.S. Military flights of deported migrants land back in Colombia this weekend
Mexico and Colombia have refused to let U.S. Military aircraft carrying illegal migrants land on their countries’ soil as Donald Trump ploughs ahead with his mass deportation plan
‘These measures are just the beginning,’ the president warned. ‘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 ran into early roadblocks with his plans for mass deportation of illegal immigrants this week when Mexico and Colombia both refused to let flights land in their countries.
There were 80 migrants on board each of the two flights bound for South America when the aircrafts’ clearances were pulled to land in Colombia.
Now, the Trump administration is working on a deal with El Salvador to accept migrants from third-party nations, which would block them from seeking asylum in the U.S.
Mexican authorities also blocked the U.S. aircraft from deporting illegal immigrants to their country this week.
It is not clear why Mexican authorities blocked the flight – especially after the country’s Naval forces were seen erecting a temporary shelter to accept back those who crossed illegally over their northern border into the U.S.
Deporting migrants to foreign countries requires permission from the incoming nation’s government.
Trump announced on Truth Social on Sunday that he instructed his administration to impose sanctions and tariffs on Colombia and its government officials after the President refused to allow two separate military flights of migrants land back in their country
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said in a post on X Sunday morning that he would not allow the U.S. to touchdown with deported migrants on board two military aircraft
Trump signed approximately 10 executive orders related to illegal immigration and the migrant border crisis on his first week back in the Oval Office.
But a plane packed with migrants did not take off from the U.S. after Mexico said it would not permit it to land on their soil.
The flight was one of three that were set to take off on Thursday.
The other two were bound for Guatemala carrying over 150 people – and successfully completed their missions when the government allowed the aircraft to land with deported migrants.
Defense Department officials confirmed last week that their forces plan to fly 5,400 migrants who are currently in detention out of the U.S. on deportation missions.
Trump is working with El Salvador to try and reach a deal on them accepting deportation flights of migrants from third-party nations. Pictured: Migrants deplane a U.S. military aircraft after it landed in Guatemala on January 24, 2025
The aircrews and maintenance teams involved in the missions are in addition to the 1,500 active duty Soldiers and Marines who deployed to the border last week.
Four C-17 and C-130 military aircraft were moved to El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, California this week, an official told Task & Purpose, in preparation for the deportation flights.
In his first moments back as president, Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border.
Trump plans to send 10,000 active duty troops to the border as he directed the Defense Department to take ‘full operational control’ of addressing the national security crisis.
