Trump places tariffs, travel ban on Colombia after not accepting deportation flights

President Trump said Sunday he is placing tariffs, a travel ban and other measures on Colombia after the country's government rejected two planes carrying migrants and the country's president said he would prohibit the entry of deportation flights from the U.S.

“I was just informed that two repatriation flights from the United States, with a large number of Illegal Criminals, were not allowed to land in Colombia. This order was given by Colombia’s Socialist President Gustavo Petro, who is already very unpopular amongst his people,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

Trump added that the Colombian president's "denial of these flights has jeopardized the National Security and Public Safety of the United States," and that, therefore, he had "directed my Administration to immediately take the following urgent and decisive retaliatory measures," including U.S.-bound goods facing tariffs of 25 percent and the prohibition of travel "on the Colombian Government Officials, and all Allies and Supporters."

“These measures are just the beginning. 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 said.

Trump campaigned heavily in the last election on the issue of immigration, and members of his new administration have looked to intensely promote any action on the matter within the president’s first few days in office.

“The US cannot treat Colombian migrants as criminals,” the Colombian president said on the social platform X earlier Sunday. “I deny the entry of American planes carrying Colombian migrants into our territory.”

On Friday, a White House spokesperson said the Trump administration had commenced with the flying of immigrants who had come into the U.S. illegally away from the country via military aircraft.

“Deportation flights have begun,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on X. “President Trump is sending a strong and clear message to the entire world: if you illegally enter the United States of America, you will face severe consequences.”

Updated at 3:12 p.m. EDT

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