A Trump-style immigration crackdown is underway in Colombia — and hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan immigrants could be caught in the middle.
Colombia’s new conservative president, Abelardo de la Espriella , has ordered immigration authorities and police to begin coordinated operations targeting foreigners who are in the country without regular immigration status, marking one of the sharpest shifts in Colombia’s migration policy in more than a decade.
During a security meeting in Barranquilla, de la Espriella instructed authorities to begin operations against immigrants, prioritizing those involved in criminal activity and then those whose immigration status has not been regularized. He said deportations should begin as soon as possible.
The president has also declared that criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking, extortion, illegal mining and smuggling will be treated as terrorists.
Colombia is preparing a crackdown on irregular migration, with President Abelardo de la Espriella ordering operations to identify and deport foreigners without legal status.
Those involved in crimes will be targeted first, followed by people who have not regularised their… pic.twitter.com/IRxbMErhRg
— Global South World (@g_s_world) August 25, 2026
For Americans, the Colombian government’s approach will sound familiar.
De la Espriella has adopted a distinctly “Colombians First” message, echoing the nationalist “America First” language associated with President Donald Trump. He has also sought closer security ties with Washington, including direct discussions with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Hundreds of Thousands of Venezuelans Could Be Affected
The number at the center of the controversy is enormous.
Colombia is home to approximately 2.8 million Venezuelans , making it the largest host country for Venezuelan immigrants. Roughly 848,000 are estimated to be illegally in Colombia , including approximately 193,000 children and adolescents, according to figures cited by international reporting.
Other reports have cited a figure of more than 500,000 Venezuelans without status
De la Espriella has explicitly ordered authorities to locate immigrants who have not regularized their status and begin the process of removing them.