Story perspectives

President Orders Barranquilla Raids to Deport Undocumented Migrants

8/26/2026

Center

Espriella Orders Raids

President Abelardo de la Espriella ordered police and immigration officials to start raids this week in Barranquilla to locate and deport migrants without legal status.
The crackdown was presented as a political decision, with no formal decree and no specific deportation target.
Colombia hosts about 2.8 million Venezuelan migrants, over 527,000 of whom are undocumented.
The United States announced a $1 billion security package for Colombia, citing crime and illegal immigration.

Left

Espriella Orders Raids

President Abelardo de la Espriella ordered police and immigration authorities to start raids identifying and deporting undocumented migrants in Barranquilla this week.
Senator María José Pizarro Rodríguez condemned raids as xenophobic and urged government to regularize migrants rather than deport them.
Migration officials told El Tiempo the agency lacks staff to conduct the raids.
Legal analysts said law labels undocumented migrants as “irregular,” not “illegal,” contradicting president’s wording.

Blindspot

The United States announced a $1 billion security package for Colombia after President Abelardo de la Espriella’s inauguration, citing organized crime and illegal immigration as priorities.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Center-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Left-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

In 2024 the United States announced a new security package for Colombia, continuing a pattern of top-down, foreign-assistance initiatives that date back to historic programs such as the Marshall Plan and other military plans. This reflects a longstanding reliance on large-scale planning models to shape security policy in the region.

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Espriella Orders Raids

President Abelardo de la Espriella ordered police and immigration officials to start raids this week in Barranquilla to locate and deport migrants without legal status.
The crackdown was presented as a political decision, with no formal decree and no specific deportation target.
Colombia hosts about 2.8 million Venezuelan migrants, over 527,000 of whom are undocumented.
The United States announced a $1 billion security package for Colombia, citing crime and illegal immigration.

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