The arrest of Colombian activist Franklin Humberto Coral Garrido, known on social media as Beto Coral, has sparked a new controversy over the immigration policy of Donald Trump's administration and the scope of diplomatic powers to justify deportations.

According to information published by The New York Times, Coral was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Phoenix, Arizona, the same day that Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a memorandum recommending his expulsion from the United States.

The document maintains that Coral, who arrived in the country in 2015 with a tourist visa and has a pending asylum application, used his stay in the United States to actively participate in political affairs in Colombia and criticize figures supported by Washington.

Why did Marco Rubio intervene?

According to the memo obtained by the aforementioned media, Rubio argued that Coral carried out political activities in favor of Colombian President Gustavo Petro and against the conservative presidential candidate Abelardo De La Espriella, who recently received support from sectors close to Trump.

The Secretary of State stated that allowing Coral to remain in the United States could affect American foreign policy interests.

“Allowing Coral Garrido to remain in the United States undermines the interests of US foreign policy in the democratic processes of Colombia,” states the document cited by the newspaper.

This is one of the most striking cases in which Rubio uses arguments related to foreign policy to support an immigration action against a person with legal presence in the country while awaiting a resolution on his asylum request.

Criticism of freedom of expression grows

Immigrant advocacy organizations and civil rights specialists questioned the decision.

Kerry Doyle, a former attorney for the Immigration Service during the Biden administration, called the move a worrying sign for free speech.

“It is very worrying that immigration power is used against people considered political opponents,” he declared.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) maintained that Coral remained in the United States much longer than allowed by her original visa, an argument used to justify her detention.

Political impact in Colombia and the United States

Coral has become a well-known figure within the Colombian community for her criticism of former President Álvaro Uribe and her support for the Petro government. Days before his arrest, he participated in public activities in Miami to discourage voting in favor of De La Espriella in the Colombian elections.

President Petro publicly reacted to the arrest and called the situation a possible political persecution, requesting Trump's intervention.

Coral remains in immigration custody and faces a hearing scheduled for June 30.

Family denounces new transfer of Beto Coral

Concern about Beto Coral's situation increased in recent hours after his family reported through X that the Colombian activist was transferred again by immigration authorities without officially informing his destination. According to those close to him, until now they do not know where he is detained and they assure that his name no longer appears in the official ICE Locator system, used to track the location of people in immigration custody.

Given the lack of information and the impossibility of communicating with him, the family launched an urgent call to the Government of Colombia, the United Nations, human rights organizations and the international community to follow up on the case.

His relatives maintain that the disappearance of his registration on official platforms has increased uncertainty about his state of health, his conditions of detention, and respect for his fundamental rights while his immigration process continues.

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