Beto Coral Detained by ICE Faces Deportation to Colombia
The United States will deport Colombian political activist Beto Coral this Thursday, weeks after he was detained by agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in a procedure that sparked significant controversy between Bogotá and Washington.
The forced removal from the country brings to an end an immigration process that placed Coral at the center of a political debate over the limits of U.S. authorities’ actions toward figures identified with left-wing governments in Latin America.
The deportation flight is expected to land in Bogotá tonight, in a development that is being interpreted by sectors of Colombia’s ruling coalition as a case of ideological persecution against one of President Gustavo Petro’s most visible defenders abroad.
While U.S. authorities maintain that the decision stems from Coral’s immigration status, leaders of the leftist Historic Pact and the Colombian president himself have questioned the procedure and called for explanations regarding the circumstances surrounding the activist’s detention.
Beto Coral detained by ICE faces deportation to Colombia
Beto Coral was arrested in Arizona during an operation carried out by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents, a division within ICE. The arrest became public after journalist Daniel Coronell revealed that the activist had been detained while accompanied by his minor son.
From that moment, an immigration process began that included two possible paths: challenging the decision before an immigration judge or accepting removal from the country. Ultimately, the process advanced to a deportation order that, according to various reports, is expected to be carried out this Thursday with Colombia as the destination.
Coral had been living in the United States for nearly a decade. He arrived in the country — with a valid visa — after reporting threats related to his political activity and to investigations into the murder of his father, Police Captain Humberto Coral, a member of the Search Bloc that pursued Pablo Escobar.
During those years, he maintained an intense presence on social media and became one of the most visible voices supporting Petro among Colombians living abroad.
The detention triggered an immediate reaction from members of the ruling coalition. Various sectors argued that the case went beyond a simple administrative procedure and reflected alleged ideological persecution against an activist identified with the Colombian government.
President Gustavo Petro himself, who described Coral as a “political prisoner,” publicly stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should intervene to protect the activist’s rights and characterized the case as political persecution.
That position was supported by lawmakers, Historic Pact leaders, and officials close to the administration, who argued that Coral had been subjected to a disproportionate response by U.S. immigration authorities.
The controversy grew because Coral had maintained a constant presence on social media for years, defending the Petro administration, criticizing opposition leaders, and actively participating in political debates related to Colombia.
Beto Coral es un preso político y de conciencia en EEUU.
Le solicito a todos los gobiernos del mundo y a todas las organizaciones de derechos humanos de los EEUU, ayudarnos en su liberación
Está bajo tortura sicológica, aislado de su familia, y lo hacen recorrer… pic.twitter.com/d8nWwULeDT
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) June 28, 2026
The position of US authorities
So far, U.S. immigration authorities have not indicated that the process has motivations other than those related to the enforcement of immigration law. ICE’s actions were carried out within an administrative immigration procedure, a mechanism through which the agency can initiate deportation proceedings when it determines that a person does not meet the requirements to remain legally in the country.
The reports known so far do not show evidence that the decision was officially based on the activist’s political positions. However, the fact that the detention order came directly from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio raised suspicions.
In addition, The New York Times obtained a copy of the memorandum in which Trump’s top diplomat instructed authorities to detain the activist. The document makes it clear that the reasons, more than his immigration status, were his support for Gustavo Petro and his criticism of President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella, who was then a presidential candidate.
“Coral has used his stay in the United States to carry out activities in support of the Petro government,” one section of the memorandum states. Those same arguments were used by Colombian American Senator Bernie Moreno to justify the influencer’s detention, prompting a response from President Petro.
Moreover, The New York Times reports that Rubio argued that “allowing Coral to remain in the United States undermines U.S. foreign policy interests in Colombia’s democratic processes,” which critics interpret as an obvious intention to intervene in Colombian politics under the premise of an undefined “democratic process.”