Colombian president urges illegal immigrants in US to return home days after diplomatic spat

Colombian President Gustavo Petro is urging Colombian nationals successful the U.S. illegally to instrumentality home, promising to supply loans to those who return, days aft being embroiled successful a diplomatic contention with the U.S.

"I inquire undocumented Colombians successful the US to instantly permission their jobs successful that state and instrumentality to Colombia arsenic soon arsenic possible," Petro said connected X.

"Wealth is produced lone by moving people.

COLOMBIA PRESIDENT WELCOMES FIRST FLIGHTS OF DEPORTED MIGRANTS AFTER LOSING PUBLIC SPAT WITH TRUMP 

People committee a U.S. subject aircraft. The White House announced Friday that "deportation flights person begun" successful the U.S. (White House)

"The Department of Social Prosperity … volition question to supply productive loans to returnees who enroll successful its programs," helium said. "Let's physique societal wealthiness successful Colombia."

Petro had initially refused Sunday to instrumentality U.S. deportation flights carrying Colombian nationals, saying the U.S. cannot "treat Colombian migrants arsenic criminals." 

The Trump administration, successful response, announced the contiguous suspension of visa issuance and question sanctions connected authorities officials. President Donald Trump warned helium would slap 25% tariffs connected each goods from Colombia.

"Measures volition proceed until Colombia meets its obligations to judge the instrumentality of its ain citizens," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. "America volition not backmost down erstwhile it comes to defending its nationalist information interests."

A VICTORY FOR TRUMP'S 'FAFO': HOW THE WHITE HOUSE STRONG-ARMED ONE-TIME CLOSE ALLY COLOMBIA OVER IMMIGRATION

Colombian President Gustavo Petro  (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara, File)

At first, Petro retaliated with his ain 25% tariffs connected U.S. goods. Petro insisted helium would not judge the instrumentality of migrants who were not treated with "dignity and respect" and who had arrived shackled oregon connected subject planes. 

But the White House aboriginal said Colombia's president had caved "to each of President Trump’s terms, including the unrestricted acceptance of all amerciable aliens from Colombia returned from the United States, including connected U.S. subject aircraft, without regulation oregon delay," 

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On Tuesday, 2 Colombian aerial unit planes carrying deportees arrived successful Bogotá. 

On Friday, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce confirmed that visa processing successful Bogotá had resumed.

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"Our committedness to enactment unneurotic with Colombia to beforehand our communal interests remains steadfast," she said.

Fox News' Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.