Government’s Proposed Constitutional Reform to Extend Detention Period for Administrative Expulsions Rejected in Congress

Original article: Derrota oficialista en la Cámara: Rechazada reforma constitucional que ampliaba plazo de detención en expulsiones administrativas

Failing to meet the required quorum for a constitutional reform, the Chamber of Deputies rejected the government’s proposal to extend the detention period for administrative expulsions (bill 18314).

According to existing regulations, the initiative needed a minimum of 89 favorable votes but only received 88, with 28 against and 19 abstentions.

«The initiative aimed to increase the time a foreign individual with an administrative expulsion order could remain detained, ensuring the effective implementation of such measures. Specifically, the reform proposed raising the general detention limit from 5 days to 30 consecutive days in cases of administrative expulsions,» the Chamber’s bill stated.

Now, due to the rejection of the proposal at the legislative stage, it will not continue and must wait one year before it can be reintroduced.

«However, as this is a presidential message, President José Antonio Kast can request that the initiative move to the Senate, where it would require a two-thirds approval from that body. If supported, it would return to the Chamber, where it could only be dismissed again by a two-thirds vote of the present members,» the official note outlined.

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