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The beginning of Donald Trump’s second term as President of the United States has been marked by a series of drastic decisions regarding immigration and foreign policy. Two recent episodes have highlighted the American administration’s determination to pursue a hardline stance both against illegal migrants and foreign governments that obstruct deportations. The first concerns the diplomatic standoff between the United States and Colombia, which ended in a decisive victory for Washington; the second involves the announcement of new detention facilities for migrants in Guantanamo.
The Colombian Case: The Tariff Threat and Petro’s Capitulation
The first episode featured Gustavo Petro, Colombia’s socialist president, who initially denied authorization for U.S. planes carrying deported migrants to land in his country. This move, justified by considerations of migrants’ dignity and the rejection of military planes being used for deportations, triggered a harsh reaction from the Trump administration.
Washington responded with the threat of imposing tariffs of up to 25% on Colombian exports to the United States, a percentage that could have risen to 50% within days. Given that the U.S. market absorbs 28% of Colombian exports—amounting to about 18 billion euros annually, driven mainly by oil—the threat carried enormous weight. Petro initially attempted to counter with a reciprocal measure, announcing 50% tariffs on U.S. imports. However, this strategy proved unsustainable given Colombia’s economic dependence on the American market.
In addition to economic measures, Trump announced a series of diplomatic sanctions, including a travel ban on Colombian government officials and the revocation of visas for institutional personnel. The pressure became unbearable for Bogotá, which ultimately accepted all conditions imposed by Washington, including the unrestricted return of deported irregular migrants.
This incident marks the first major clash between Trump and a Latin American country in his second term, demonstrating how the U.S. administration is willing to use economic and diplomatic tools to secure full cooperation on migration policies.
Guantanamo: The New Detention Center for Migrants
Parallel to the confrontation with Colombia, Trump announced his intention to set up new facilities to detain up to 30,000 migrants expelled from the United States within the military base of Guantanamo, Cuba. The decision was formalized through a presidential memorandum and is part of a series of restrictive measures on immigration.
Guantanamo is known for its maximum-security prison, opened in 2002 and long criticized for allegations of torture and human rights violations. However, Trump’s plan does not involve placing migrants in the prison but rather in a separate existing facility, the Migrant Operations Center (GMOC). This center, previously used to house Cuban and Haitian migrants, currently has a capacity of 120 but could be expanded with temporary structures such as tents and barracks.
The administration has stated that it intends to use the GMOC as a full-fledged detention facility for irregular migrants deemed dangerous. According to Tom Homan, Trump’s immigration adviser, even migrants intercepted at sea by the Coast Guard could be incarcerated there. This decision is expected to spark controversy, especially as a 2024 report by the NGO International Refugee Assistance Project described the conditions at the GMOC as “inhumane.”
The Political Context: The Laken Riley Act and the Immigration Crackdown
The Guantanamo announcement coincided with Trump signing the Laken Riley Act, the first law passed by Congress in his second term. The law mandates pre-trial detention for all undocumented migrants arrested for theft or violent crimes and accelerates deportation procedures. It is named after Laken Riley, a student killed in 2024 in Georgia by an undocumented Venezuelan migrant, an incident that had a significant impact on American public opinion.
This measure is part of a broader crackdown on immigration: in recent weeks, around 40,000 migrants have already been transferred to private prisons, local jails, or military bases authorized by ICE.
The Historical Continuity of Guantanamo as a Migrant Center
Trump’s proposal to expand Guantanamo for immigration management is not entirely new. In the 1990s, the base housed more than 34,000 Haitian and Cuban migrants, though not all at once. Over the years, U.S. security forces have conducted drills to prepare for a potential large-scale migration crisis.
However, while previous uses of the base were framed in humanitarian terms, Trump clearly aims for a repressive approach. This marks a stark break from previous Democratic administrations, which had attempted (unsuccessfully) to close the Guantanamo prison.
Conclusion: A New Era of Political Stringency
These two episodes illustrate a clear picture of Trump’s immigration policy: absolute firmness and the use of economic leverage to secure cooperation from third countries. The diplomatic victory over Colombia shows how the administration is willing to put strategic economic relationships at risk to enforce its agenda. At the same time, the Guantanamo project represents a further step toward an increasingly restrictive immigration policy, raising serious humanitarian concerns.
In this scenario, Latin American governments face a difficult choice: cooperate with the United States and accept stringent conditions, or challenge Washington at the risk of severe economic and diplomatic repercussions. Colombia has already capitulated. Will other governments follow suit?