Washington – President Trump on Sunday launched a swift and punishing retaliation after the Colombian government blocked the arrival of deportation flights from the US, objecting to the Trump administration’s efforts to use it Military planes to deport migrants.
Mr Trump announced on social media on Sunday that his administration would institute several actions against Colombia, including a 25% tariff – which he said would be raised to 50% after a week – on all Colombian goods entering the US .
He also announced a travel ban and “immediate visa revocation” for Colombian government officials and “their allies,” visa sanctions on Colombian officials and their relatives, and enhanced customs inspections of passengers and cargo from Colombia.
“These measures are just the beginning,” Mr Trump wrote on his social media platform Istina Social. “We will not allow the Colombian government to violate its legal obligations regarding the acceptance and return of criminals they have forced into the United States!”
A senior administration official said Mr Trump’s actions were a “clear message” to countries that they “have an obligation to accept repatriation flights”.
Earlier on Sunday, Colombian President Gustavo Petro said He rejected the deportation flights as the deportees were transported on military planes, arguing that such a move treated the migrants as criminals.
Rebecca Blackwell / AP
“The United States must establish a protocol for the dignified treatment of migrants before we take them in,” Petro wrote On social media. He added that he would accept deportation flights, as long as they were spent on civilian planes.
Two US officials told CBS News that there were two Defense Department planes carrying migrant deportees to land in Colombia on Sunday after leaving the San Diego area near the southern border. But those plans were scrapped overnight.
One of the US officials said the plan was to deport approximately 80 Colombian migrants on each military plane.
Colombia’s decision to block deportation flights into the US over the weekend is an early diplomatic setback for the Trump administration as it lays the groundwork for its promised campaign of mass deportations and a crackdown on illegal immigration.
As part of that action, President Trump moved to significantly increase the role the US military plays in immigration enforcement, declaring a national emergency to deploy an additional 1,500 soldiers and Marines to the southern border. The troops are assigned to the vertical border barriers and assist with customs and border protection in an operational capacity. Long-standing legal restrictions prohibit the use of the military for civilian law enforcement, including US immigration law.
Earlier in the week, the administration used military aircraft to deport Guatemalan migrants who illegally crossed the southern border back into Guatemala, heralding the move as the start of their massive deportation efforts.
contributed to this report.
