Marco Rubio’s Deportation Memo Targets Colombian Activist

Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Beto Coral’s criticism of a presidential candidate in Colombia challenges U.S. foreign policy. Franklin Humberto Coral Garrido, widely recognized as Beto Coral, is a progressive influencer.

This week, the Trump administration detained a Colombian immigrant in Phoenix after he opposed a Trump-backed candidate in Colombia’s upcoming presidential election. Beto Coral, a supporter of Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro, voiced his disapproval of Abelardo De La Espriella, a right-wing candidate endorsed by President Trump. Immigration authorities arrested Coral on Tuesday, coinciding with Secretary of State Rubio’s memo declaring him deportable.

According to the memo, Coral arrived in the United States in 2015 on a tourist visa and has an asylum application pending. Rubio emphasized that Coral has conducted political activities in the U.S., supporting the Petro government and advocating against a presidential candidate. Rubio’s memo indicates that allowing Coral to stay in the United States could hinder U.S. foreign policy interests in Colombia’s democratic processes.

“Allowing Coral Garrido to remain in the United States undermines U.S. foreign policy interests in Colombia’s democratic processes and signals that foreign nationals may use U.S. platforms to conduct politically motivated disinformation campaigns and litigation targeting foreign democratic actors without consequence,” wrote Rubio.

This memo follows a pattern in which Rubio has targeted specific immigrants for deportation, including those with various immigration statuses. Most previous actions focused on individuals who protested against Israel, such as Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University student arrested last year by immigration authorities.