The White House shared more information on the US-Colombia agreement on Sunday night after the two countries and their leaders got into a back-and-forth over immigration and tariffs.
“The Government of Colombia has agreed to all of President Trump’s terms, including the unrestricted acceptance of all illegal aliens from Colombia returned from the United States, including on U.S. military aircraft, without limitation or delay,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement emailed to The Hill late Sunday.
“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,” she added. “The visa sanctions issued by the State Department, and enhanced inspections from Customs and Border Protection, will remain in effect until the first planeload of Colombian deportees is successfully returned.”
Colombian President Gustavo Petro reposted the statement from Leavitt on his social media shortly after it was shared.
The discussion came to a boiling point on Sunday when Petro’s nation denied entry to two military aircraft that were carrying Colombian immigrants who were arrested and deported for having entered the US illegally.
Petro criticized the flights and Trump, taking to social media to share his displeasure and reasoning for denying entry to the aircraft.
“The US cannot treat Colombian migrants as criminals,” Petro shared on X. “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,” Petro continued.
The decision sparked an immediate response from Trump, who quickly threatened action in the form of tariffs, a travel ban, and other measures for the decision from Petro, who he said on Truth Social was “already very unpopular amongst his people.”
Trump said that “denial of these flights has jeopardized the National Security and Public Safety of the United States.”
Because of this, Trump says he has “directed my Administration to immediately take the following urgent and decisive retaliatory measures.” These include US-bound goods facing 25% tariffs and a prohibition of travel “on the Colombian Government Officials, and all Allies and Supporters.”
Petro responded by saying he would tariff the US, having directed his “foreign trade minister to raise import tariffs from the U.S. by 25%.”
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However, both sides have now stood down, as the migrants are being landed in Colombia, and tariffs are not being put in place by either side as of right now.
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