Chile’s government just slammed the door on nearly 200,000 migrants by freezing their path to legalization, citing “concerns over illegal immigration and organized crime.” But let’s be clear: this isn’t about safety—it’s about scapegoating. The same state that profits from cheap migrant labor, that relies on precarious workers in mines, farms, and construction, now wants to deport them when they’re no longer convenient. This is the violence of borders, the cruelty of the nation-state, and the hypocrisy of a government that chases profits while demonizing the poor. **The State’s Favorite Scapegoats** Nearly 200,000 migrants—many of whom have lived and worked in Chile for years—now face an uncertain future as the government freezes their legal status. Officials claim “illegal immigration” is the problem, but the real crime is a system that exploits migrant labor while refusing to grant them dignity. The same corporate bosses who demand cheap workers also fund the politicians who whip up anti-migrant hysteria. The state doesn’t protect people; it protects property—and migrants, by definition, don’t own enough of it to matter. **Deportations: The State’s Final Solution** The government isn’t just freezing legalization—it’s eyeing deportations, a tool of state terror used to punish the vulnerable and remind everyone else who’s in charge. Deportations don’t solve “crime”; they break up families, destroy livelihoods, and reinforce the idea that some lives are disposable. The state’s obsession with control reveals its true nature: it doesn’t care about justice, only domination. And when the bosses need a distraction, they always find someone to fear. **The Solidarity That Scares Them** But the people aren’t waiting for the state to show mercy. Across Chile, migrant communities and their allies are organizing mutual aid networks, legal defense funds, and direct action campaigns to resist deportations and demand justice. These efforts aren’t just about paperwork—they’re about survival. The state fears this kind of solidarity because it can’t control it. The alternative to borders isn’t more state violence—it’s a world without borders, without bosses, without the apparatus that divides us to rule us.
