‘New sheriff in town:’ Miami congressmen praise Trump moves on Colombia over deportations
A day after the dispute between Colombia and the United States over migrant deportations, two Republican congressmen from South Florida said any country that rejects the deportation of its nationals would face sanctions or other punitive measures.
Speaking at the Trump Doral resort, U.S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez of Miami said the Trump administration would not “roll over” on its immigration policy. On Sunday, after Colombian President Gustavo Petro refused to allow two U.S.. military planes carrying deportees to land, Trump said he was imposing an immediate 25% tariff on all Colombian imports, to rise to 50% within a week. Petro ultimately backed down and his government said Colombia will accept deportees. Trumps move marked an unprecedented shift in foreign policy, directly linking sanctions to immigration issues.
“Trump believes in peace through strength,” Gimenez said, addressing Petro. “But if you think you’re going to impose unreasonable conditions on the United States, you should think again. There’s a new sheriff in town, and a new direction for this country.”
U.S. Rep Mario Diaz-Balart of Miami said the deportations will target the 1.3 million migrants in the U.S. who already have orders for removal, calling them “severe criminals, serious criminals.”
“President Trump didn’t just come back with a mandate to fulfill his promises,” Diaz-Balart stated. “Unlike the first time, when bureaucracy got in the way, he’s learned from that experience and is now taking more aggressive steps to eliminate obstacles to his America First agenda, focused on safety and prosperity.”
According to the State Department, Colombia is the U.S.’s third-largest trade partner in Latin America, with U.S.-owned affiliates in Colombia supporting over 90,000 jobs. In 2022, bilateral trade between the two nations reached $39.3 billion, driven by significant investments in mining and manufacturing.
Colombia remains a key U.S. partner in ongoing efforts to help democracy and economic prosperity return to Venezuela.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, who is in South Florida for a Republican congressional retreat, said later that Congress would fully support the White House and take the necessary steps to advance its immigration agenda.
Johnson said that the message to Colombia and anyone else is clear: “You must cooperate.”
“You must take back the illegal immigrants who entered the United States from your country,” he said. “If you refuse, we will take action, we will engage with sanctions or any other measures that are appropriate to the president’s agenda.”
