Trump actions could wreak havoc on South Florida's sizeable Colombian population

Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald on Jan 26, 2025

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South Florida is home to hundreds of thousands of people with roots in Colombia, according to federal government data, underscoring the longstanding and deep ties between the region and the South American country.

There were nearly 240,000 Colombians living in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties in 2023, according to the American Community Survey, the annual survey that the U.S. Census Bureau conducts. Meanwhile, Palm Beach County had almost 36,000 Colombian residents in 2021.

The large Colombian population in South Florida highlights the potential for chaos that the sanctions and tariffs that President Donald Trump announced Sunday could wreak here in the wake of a slew of punitive financial and immigration policies towards the South American country the president announced on Sunday.

After President Gustavo Petro’s government refused to take American deportation flights headed to his country, Trump slammed Bogota with a 25% tariff on all Colombian goods that will go up to 50% in a week. On social media platform TruthSocial, the president also announced a “travel ban” on all Colombian officials and government supporters; enhanced inspection of cargo originating in Colombia; as well as banking and financing sanctions. Visa processing in the U.S. Embassy in Bogota will also shutter.

“These measures are just the beginning,” warned Trump on TruthSocial.

Colombians make up a sizable portion of the U.S Hispanic population. There were over 1,628,927 people who identified as Colombian in 2023, according to Census data. 60% were born outside the United States, and 70% are either U.S.-born or naturalized citizens.

Florida is home to 473,606 Colombians, according to the U.S. Census data. The state has long been a magnet for new arrivals from the South American country who are seeking a place where there are many Spanish speakers, a warm climate and a ready-made community. There are several Colombian restaurants in Miami, doling out classics like tamales, bandeja paisa, and ajiaco. Hialeah, Doral, and Kendall also have a large Colombian presence, and there is a decades-old Colombian American Chamber of Commerce in Miami that fosters positive economic relations between the United States and Colombia.

Lt. Governor Jeanette Jeanette Nuñez traveled to Colombia in 2019 on an “export sales mission” with 50 plus representatives from small and medium-sized businesses from Florida. Nuñez met with Colombian government officials to identify future collaborations, according to a press release.. Florida accounted for a quarter of all U.S. trade with Colombia and it wa s Florida’s second-largest export market at the time of the trip, according to the Lt. Gov.’s office.

South Florida was also a voting hub for Colombians voting abroad during the 2022 presidential elections. The country’s government set up several voting stations across the region, and over 100,000 Colombians registered to vote here.