Milei decree allows expulsion of foreigners over hate messages against Argentina

Thursday, July 30th 2026 - 18:59 UTC Whoever attacks the Argentine Republic is not welcome in the country, the Office of the President said in announcing the measure Argentine President Javier Milei has signed an emergency decree allowing authorities to bar entry, cancel residence permits already granted and expel foreigners who direct or incite expressions of hatred, discrimination or violence on grounds of nationality, as well as those who desecrate national symbols. The measure, Decree 681/2026, was published on Thursday in the Official Gazette and amends the Migration Law. In its rationale, the government states that hate messages and acts of hostility and contempt directed at the Argentine people, their culture and their national identity have increased considerably, and that such conduct poses a risk to social peace. The text specifies that the provision may not be applied to expressions of ideological dissent or to political, academic or civic criticism that constitutes a legitimate exercise of constitutional rights. Whoever attacks the Argentine Republic is not welcome in the country, the Office of the President said in announcing the measure, which it linked to recent displays of hostility toward Argentina. The decree follows the controversy that erupted on social media during and after the World Cup held in the United States, Mexico and Canada, in which Argentina lost the final to Spain. The criticism that circulated ranged from claims of favorable refereeing for the Argentine team to accusations of racism. Milei said on July 26 that the Brazilian government financed 25% of that alleged campaign, with backing from Mexico and the US Democratic Party. He offered no evidence and the accusations remain unsubstantiated. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum denied that her government promoted any such campaign. Argentine Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno cited on Wednesday, as part of the phenomenon, posts by Spanish singer Rosalía — who arrived in Buenos Aires on Thursday for a series of concerts — and actors Samuel L. Jackson and Javier Bardem. The measure drew legal and political objections. Constitutional scholar Félix Lonigro said restrictions of this kind must conform to the principle of legality and be legislated by Congress. Former Justice Minister Mariano Cúneo Libarona, who backed the measure in general terms, questioned its vagueness and urged that it not become a selective tool. Deputy Maximiliano Ferraro, of the Coalición Cívica, called it unconstitutional, and former national migration director Florencia Carignano noted that if other countries applied equivalent criteria, Milei himself would be barred from several. The episode follows insults Milei directed on Saturday, July 25, in São Paulo at the Brazilian president and at a Supreme Federal Court justice, including a slur about the judge's physical appearance, which led Brazil to recall its ambassador in Buenos Aires for consultations.