A deportation arrangement with Colombia that the White House presented as a total victory for Donald Trump looks less clear two days later.The migrants the US tried to deport by US military flights on Sunday started traveling home on Monday on a Colombian air force plane,
Colombia did an about-face at lightning-fast speed on accepting deportation flights in what President Donald Trump hailed as a victory for his "f--- around and find out" [FAFO] style of governing.
The White House claimed victory in a showdown with Colombia over accepting flights of deported migrants from the U.S., hours after President Donald Trump threatened steep tariffs.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Trump’s tariff orders and sanctions would be “held in reserve and not signed” on Jan. 26, as long as Colombian migrants returned to their country. However, visa restrictions on Colombian officials and enhanced inspections would remain in place until Colombian deportees were returned.
The episode suggests President Donald Trump is willing to threaten other countries with tariffs and sanctions if his deportation plans are obstructed.
Colombia stopped resisting President Donald Trump’s deportation of its unwanted nationals. But America First bullying may yet provoke a backlash. The row casts a pall over the first trip abroad by Marco Rubio,
President Donald Trump is holding off on imposing tariffs and sanctions on Colombia following an agreement on accepting deportation flights.
Trump had threated to impose 25% tariffs on all imports from Colombia, which would rise to 50% in a week, unless it agreed to accept deported migrants.
Colombia welcomed its first flights of deported illegal immigrants with its president heralding their return and insisting they are not criminals.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro ended their public tit for tat that began when military planes with migrants were blocked, a disagreement that veered into tariff threats on both sides.
Trump has vowed punishing tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China, which are Texas’ biggest international trading partners.