Chile Votes As Candidates Promise Migrant Crackdown: Deportations, Border Wall, Detention Camps

Chileans headed to the polls in a presidential and parliamentary election dominated by fears of gang crime and a surge in Venezuelan migration. Across the political spectrum, leading candidates converged on hardline proposals—mass deportations, a northern border wall, detention centers, and expanded policing—citing gangs like Tren de Aragua. Mandatory voting adds millions of new voters, and a Dec. 14 runoff is likely. The securitized framing of migration marks a significant shift that could tighten enforcement and affect migrants’ rights and regional relations.