SECRETARY RUBIO: Why making America safer means revoking visas when threats arise

 Visiting America is not an entitlement. It is simply a privilege extended to those who respect our laws and values. And, arsenic Secretary of State, I volition ne'er hide that.   

U.S. instrumentality lays retired wide rules astir who tin and cannot travel to the United States. The State Department’s consular officers are required to use these rules to each of the millions of visa applicants astir the satellite each year. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), aliens who endorse oregon espouse violent enactment oregon transportation others to endorse oregon espouse violent enactment oregon enactment a violent enactment – specified arsenic Hamas – are ineligible for U.S. visas.

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTER MAHMOUD KHALIL CAN BE DEPORTED, JUDGE RULES

What’s more, the INA gives america wide authorization to revoke a visa. This authorization is cardinal to safeguarding our nationalist security, arsenic good arsenic protecting Americans and lawful visitors wrong our borders. The Trump administration’s committedness to information and the enforcement of our migration laws is unprecedented and unwavering. We expect – and the instrumentality requires – each visa holders to show their eligibility each time their visa is valid. This includes respecting our laws, behaving appropriately according to their visa type, and continuing to conscionable these standards passim their enactment successful our country.

U.S. visa holders should cognize successful nary uncertain presumption that the U.S. government’s rigorous information vetting does not extremity erstwhile a visa is granted.

U.S. visa holders should cognize successful nary uncertain presumption that the U.S. government’s rigorous information vetting does not extremity erstwhile a visa is granted. Working unneurotic with DHS and different law-enforcement and information agencies, we continuously show and reappraisal these cases. This vigilance is indispensable due to the fact that circumstances tin and bash change. For example, visas whitethorn beryllium revoked if the visa holder has engaged successful convulsive transgression oregon drunk driving, supporting terrorism, overstaying the clip permitted for their visit, performing amerciable enactment -- oregon thing other that violates the presumption connected which we granted them this privilege oregon compromises the information of our chap Americans. When accusation astir specified activities comes to the department’s attention, our adept unit reappraisal it and measure whether revocation is appropriate.

Columbia University pupil Mahmoud Khalil, who served arsenic a spokesperson for anti-Israel protesters astatine Columbia University, present faces deportation. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Recent events person underscored wherefore our committedness to enforcing the INA and protecting nationalist information is peculiarly captious today. There are implicit 1.1 cardinal overseas students successful the United States, including astatine our nation’s astir elite universities. In the aftermath of the October 7, 2023 violent attacks against Israel, immoderate of these overseas pupil visitors engaged successful antisemitic activities and intimidation of Americans, galore who happened to beryllium of the Jewish faith. These foreigners unopen down assemblage campuses for American citizens, harassed Jewish students, blocked highways, and stormed buildings. The Trump medication is committed to taking the indispensable steps to halt these activities astatine American universities.

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As Secretary of State, I volition proceed exercising my authorization to enactment President Trump’s zero-tolerance attack to overseas nationals who abet violent organizations oregon enactment successful activities that endanger our nationalist information oregon compromise a compelling overseas argumentation interest. The Supreme Court has made wide for decades that visa holders oregon different aliens cannot usage the First Amendment to shield different impermissible actions taken to enactment designated overseas violent organizations similar Hamas, Hizballah, oregon the Houthis, oregon interruption different U.S. laws. They volition proceed to look consequences – including visa denial, revocation, oregon deportation.

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Our archetypal work is to support the American nationalist safe. While I americium Secretary, we volition ne'er hesitate to enactment decisively – and successful adjacent coordination with our U.S. authorities partners – erstwhile accusation indicates a visa holder could compromise our security, has violated U.S. law, oregon visa revocation is different warranted. U.S. visas are a privilege, alternatively than a right, reserved for those who marque the United States better, not question to destruct it from the inside.