A federal judge in the United States blocked a new attempt by the Trump administration to limit birthright citizenship. ^[1] Diego Chaves-González, senior manager of the Migration Policy Institute's Latin America and Caribbean Initiative, said on 2026-09-04 that a mass deportation policy could be counterproductive, strengthening illegal groups at the border, affecting economic sectors dependent on Venezuelan labor, and wasting an opportunity to turn integration of about three million migrants into a security and growth tool. ^[2] The government of Abelardo De La Espriella announced on 2026-09-04 that it will seek to detain and deport migrants with criminal records and those staying irregularly in Colombia. ^[3] Judge Deborah Boardman indicated that the administration cannot issue a new restrictive order regarding birthright citizenship. ^[4] The judge indicated there were indications that the new policy was unconstitutional, consistent with a previous Supreme Court ruling. ^[5] Chaves said Colombia should not replicate US immigration policy because an alliance does not mean two countries should do exactly the same; policies can be complementary, and Colombia can contribute by strengthening reintegration of returning Colombians, integrating Venezuelans already in the country to reduce incentives for secondary migration north, and contributing to stability of the border and Venezuela. ^[6] Chaves said regularization is a tool of state control: when a person is registered, the state knows who they are, where they live and work, and can incorporate them into institutional systems, increasing capacity to prevent, investigate and prosecute crimes; irregularity does the opposite. ^[7]