Milei signs decree allowing Argentina to bar or expel foreigners over 'hate speech'

Argentine President Javier Milei has signed an emergency decree authorizing the expulsion or denial of entry to foreigners who incite hatred, discrimination, or violence against the Argentine people or insult national symbols. The Decree of Necessity and Urgency (DNU) was published shortly after midnight Wednesday and was co-signed by several Cabinet ministers.

The government claims the measure is necessary to protect against acts of hatred and hostility directed at the nation and its people, particularly in response to recent hostility during the FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. However, the measure is unclear and experts warn it could be open to arbitrary enforcement due to lack of specific details on what constitutes hate speech, how such statements will be identified, and how authorities will determine who made them.

The decree introduces a new restriction into Argentina's immigrant-friendly constitutional framework, which guarantees foreigners the same civil rights as citizens. President Milei has accused foreign governments, including Brazil, Mexico, and the US Democratic Party, of financing an "anti-Argentina campaign," though he provided no evidence to support his claims.