Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella has ordered immigration raids targeting people without legal status and said deportations should begin this week, marking a sharp shift from the country's recent approach toward Venezuelan migrants.
"The order to Immigration is clear: first those who are committing crimes, second those who have not regularized their status," De la Espriella said during a security meeting in Barranquilla. "Colombians first, Colombians second, Colombians third."
The new policy will largely affect Venezuelans, who make up Colombia's largest migrant population. Roughly 2.8 million Venezuelans currently live in the country, including more than 527,000 without legal status, according to figures cited in reports on the announcement and reported by Euronews.
The move departs from policies adopted under previous governments that sought to regularize Venezuelans rather than remove them. As recently as July, Colombian authorities said roughly 2.3 million Venezuelans had received temporary residence permits under a program first introduced in 2021.
De la Espriella said the crackdown is part of a broader security strategy focused on crime, extortion, drug trafficking and armed groups. Barranquilla will serve as an initial testing ground for the new approach, with police and immigration authorities coordinating enforcement operations.
The shift also comes as De la Espriella deepens ties with U.S. President Donald Trump. The Colombian president, who took office August 7, campaigned on a harder line against crime and migration and has openly praised Trump. The United States announced a $1 billion security package for Colombia shortly after his inauguration, with organized crime and illegal immigration among the stated priorities.
De la Espriella has also joined Trump's "Shield of the Americas" security initiative and recently authorized joint U.S.-Colombian military operations against drug trafficking and armed groups, according to El País. The broader regional context has also changed, with several Latin American governments moving to the right and adopting tougher security and migration policies.
Critics of De la Espriella's approach argue that migrants are being blamed for broader security problems. Ana Karina García, director of the migrant aid group Juntos Se Puede, said there is no evidence that foreigners commit crimes at higher rates. "We understand that the president wants to protect Colombians," García said. "But there is no need to protect them from migrants."
