Marco Rubio approved the detention of a migrant who criticized a Trump ally

Hamed Aleaziz reported from Washington, and Annie Correal reported from Bogotá. The Trump administration detained a Colombian migrant in Phoenix this week after he spoke out against a Colombian presidential candidate endorsed by the U.S. president. Franklin Humberto Coral Garrido, a progressive social media activist known as Beto Coral, is a supporter of President Gustavo Petro, a left-wing politician who has clashed with President Trump. He has publicly criticized Abelardo de la Espriella, a right-wing candidate backed by Trump. Coral was arrested by immigration authorities on Tuesday, the same day Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a memorandum determining that he was eligible for deportation from the United States. In the memorandum, Rubio noted that Coral arrived in the United States in 2015 on a tourist visa and has a pending asylum application. But “Coral Garrido has used her time in the United States to conduct political activities in support of the Petro administration” and has campaigned against a presidential candidate, Rubio wrote, according to a copy of the document obtained by The New York Times. “Allowing Coral Garrido to remain in the United States,” Rubio continued, “undermines U.S. foreign policy interests in Colombia’s democratic processes and suggests that foreigners can use U.S. platforms to conduct politically motivated disinformation campaigns and pursue legal action against foreign democratic actors with impunity.” The memo comes after a year in which Rubio has used his power as Secretary of State to target specific migrants. In previous memos, he has recommended that the Department of Homeland Security deport specific individuals, arguing that their presence in the United States undermines U.S. foreign policy. Most of his memos have focused on people who have protested against Israel in some way, such as Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University student detained by immigration authorities last year. The most recent memo appears to be the first time Rubio has used his authority to recommend the deportation of an activist for his work related to foreign elections. Kerry Doyle, one of the top lawyers for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the Joe Biden administration, believes Coral's detention is part of a campaign to stifle free speech for immigrants. “I find it very ironic, but also very troubling, that the Secretary of State is using Castro-style heavy-handed tactics to suppress free speech and protected political activity, leveraging the enormous authority of the DHS against supposed opponents who, coincidentally, are not citizens,” said Doyle, who is now a partner at Green & Spiegel, an immigration law firm. Rubio, a Cuban-American, has been a vocal critic of Cuba’s repressive regime, which came to power nearly 70 years ago under Fidel Castro. The State Department has not responded to requests for comment. [This article is being translated and will be updated shortly.] Hamed Aleaziz covers the Department of Homeland Security and immigration policy. Annie Correal is a Latin America correspondent for The Times.