BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, May 15, (AP): Argentina's right-wing President Javier Milei issued a decree on Wednesday curbing immigration to the South American nation, a move coinciding with the immigration restrictions put in place by the Trump administration. Milei's abrupt measures and declaration that newcomers were bringing "chaos and abuse” to Argentina - a country built by millions of immigrants that has long prided itself on its openness - drew criticism from his political opponents and prompted comparisons to US President Donald Trump.

Milei's government welcomed those comparisons to its close American ally, with presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni saying it was "time to honor our history and make Argentina great again." Wednesday's executive order tightens restrictions on citizenship, requiring immigrants to spend two uninterrupted years in Argentina or make a significant financial investment in the country to secure an Argentine passport.

Immigrants seeking permanent residency must show proof of income or "sufficient means” and have clean criminal records in their home countries. The decree makes it much easier for the government to deport migrants who enter the country illegally, falsify their immigration documents or commit minor crimes in Argentina.

Previously, authorities could only expel or deny entry to a foreigner with a conviction of more than three years. It also asks the judiciary to fast-track otherwise lengthy immigration court proceedings. "For some time now, we’ve had regulations that invite chaos and abuse by many opportunists who are far from coming to this country in an honest way,” Adorni told reporters.

The presidential spokesperson is also the top candidate for Milei’s La Libertad Avanza party in the key Buenos Aires legislative elections on Sunday. Their hard-right bloc is trying to win over conservative voters from Argentina's center-right in the high-stakes midterm-election year. That timing fueled criticism, especially as the country has seen no recent surge of migration. Argentina's most recent national census, from 2022, showed that the nation of 46 million had just 1.93 million foreign residents - the lowest share of immigrants since record-keeping began in 1869.