Trump’s gamble with Colombia paid off. I’m glad our president puts America first.

President Donald Trump did not come to the White House to play. He has instituted more change in the past week than now former President Joe Biden did in the past year.

In his first days back in the Oval Office, Trump signed more than 200 executive orders and proclamations on everything from immigration and border security to gender and diversity, equity and inclusion.

On Sunday, the president of Colombia found himself in the political crossfire of one of those decisions. It didn’t end well for him.

But it paid off well for the American people.

Trump forced Colombia into submission over illegal immigration

One of Trump’s initial orders involved deporting migrants who entered the United States illegally to their home countries as part of the new administration’s efforts to enforce immigration laws.

When the Colombian government refused to accept two U.S. flights carrying deported migrants, Trump threatened the South American country with 25% tariffs on imports into the United States.

In response, Colombian President Gustavo Petro said he would retaliate with his own set of tariffs.

But by Sunday night, the White House announced that the Colombian government had agreed to Trump’s terms − the “unrestricted acceptance” of U.S. military flights deporting Colombian migrants back to their home country.


 

In 2021, Biden lifted several policies implemented in Trump’s first term that were effective in reducing illegal immigration. As a result, migrants poured across the border illegally, setting a record for the number of Border Patrol encounters in December 2023. The tide of people overwhelmed resources not only at the border but in cities and states nationwide.

In Texas, the state spent so much of its resources securing the border, Gov. Greg Abbott has asked the federal government for a reimbursement of $11.1 billion.

I’m glad Trump takes seriously the federal government’s role in enforcing immigration laws. He already has declared a national emergency and deployed 1,500 troops to patrol the border. On Sunday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials made about 1,200 arrests in one day in Chicago, according to NBC News.

I suspect that the 77.3 million Americans who voted for Trump are glad to see we have a president who will put America first − even if it means playing a little hardball.