Trump Tightens the Screws, and Colombia Follows Suit

[Financial News] The Trump administration is tightening border controls even further by sharply raising fees for skilled-worker visas to more than 100 million won and moving to revoke visas for as many as 200,000 asylum seekers. As President Donald Trump renews his push for hard-line immigration policies ahead of the November midterm elections, a new right-wing president in Colombia, who is also pro-Trump, has begun rolling out Trump-style immigration measures, including large-scale crackdowns on undocumented migrants and deportations.
According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and other outlets, the Department of Homeland Security proposed a rule in the Federal Register that would require a fee of $103,265, or about 143 million won, for new H-1B visa applications. Unlike the previous system, which mainly targeted applicants filing from overseas, the new rule would also require fees from those applying in the United States. The administration plans to push ahead despite a federal court ruling that found the measure illegal, and it expects to raise $8.8 billion, or about 12 trillion won, to fund immigration enforcement.
The H-1B visa applies to professional jobs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The steep fee for skilled-worker visas is part of President Donald Trump's broader crackdown on immigration. With the midterm elections approaching in November, the move is seen as an effort to rally his base by making clear that he has no intention of softening his hard-line stance.
The Trump administration is also preparing to cancel commercial and tourist visas for as many as 200,000 foreign nationals who have applied for asylum or are currently going through the asylum process. According to a State Department document obtained by the Associated Press and several officials, the State Department plans to announce in the coming weeks that it will revoke B-1 and B-2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 if the holders have applied for asylum or are in the process of doing so.
In connection with the move, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said, "We are working with the Department of Homeland Security to identify foreign nationals who entered the United States claiming to be 'short-term visitors' and then applied for asylum in order to remain permanently, and to revoke their nonimmigrant visas."
Trump-style immigration policy is also emerging in South America.
Colombia's new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, who took office this month, has ordered a sweeping crackdown on undocumented migrants and forced deportations. Nicknamed "El Tigre," the conservative president has openly signaled close cooperation with the United States on public safety and security, including efforts to dismantle drug cartels, and has shown a strongly pro-U.S. stance since his campaign.
According to local media in Colombia, President de la Espriella said at a security meeting in Barranquilla, "Colombians come first, second and third," and ordered, "Immediately carry out joint operations to first identify illegal migrants who have committed crimes, and then crack down on those who do not have legal status."
As a result, Colombian police and immigration authorities plan to launch large-scale operations against migrants as early as this week, focusing on major cities and border areas. The hard-line approach is seen as a move modeled on the Trump administration's tough immigration policy, which has made the identification and deportation of large numbers of undocumented residents a key national priority.
[email protected] Hong Chaewan Reporter