"Visiting America Is Not...": Top US Diplomat Defends Trump's Visa Policy
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reiterated a hardline stance on America's visa policy, He said that visas were a privilege reserved for those who respect US laws and values, not a right granted to all applicants.
In an editorial for Fox News, Rubio outlined the Donald Trump administration's uncompromising approach to visa eligibility and national security, particularly in the wake of recent campus unrest and global terrorism concerns.
Since coming to power in January, President Trump has deported some foreign students, has revoked multiple visas and has warned universities of federal funding cuts over pro-Palestinian protests.
“Visiting America is not an entitlement. It is a privilege extended to those who respect our laws and values. And, as Secretary of State, I will never forget that,” Rubio wrote.
Rubio, who represented Florida in the US Senate from 2011 to 2025 before assuming his current role, said that under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), “aliens” who promote or support terrorism — including backing terrorist organisations such as Hamas — are ineligible for US visas.
“The INA gives us broad authority to revoke a visa. This authority is fundamental to safeguarding our national security, as well as protecting Americans and lawful visitors within our borders,” he said.
Rubio defended the administration's intensified scrutiny of visa holders, noting that security vetting is an ongoing process, even after a visa has been issued. “US visa holders should know in no uncertain terms that the US government's rigorous security vetting does not end once a visa is granted,” he wrote.
The Secretary of State added that the government, in collaboration with law enforcement and intelligence agencies, continuously monitors visa holders to identify any potential threats or violations. “For example, visas may be revoked if the visa holder has engaged in violent crime or drunk driving, supporting terrorism, overstaying the time permitted for their visit, performing illegal work -- or anything else that violates the terms on which we granted them this privilege or compromises the safety of our fellow Americans,” he added.
Marco Rubio also pointed to recent incidents following the October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks against Israel as a case study for increased vigilance. “Some of these foreign student visitors engaged in antisemitic activities and intimidation of Americans, many who happened to be of the Jewish faith,” he wrote. “These foreigners shut down college campuses for American citizens, harassed Jewish students, blocked highways, and stormed buildings.”
He added that the administration would not tolerate such activities. “The Trump administration is committed to taking the necessary steps to stop these activities at American universities,” Rubio said.
He also highlighted the legal precedent for the government's position. “The Supreme Court has made clear for decades that visa holders or other aliens cannot use the First Amendment to shield otherwise impermissible actions taken to support designated foreign terrorist organizations like Hamas, Hizballah, or the Houthis, or violate other US laws.”
On a zero-tolerance approach, Rubio said, “While I am Secretary, we will never hesitate to act decisively – and in close coordination with our US government partners – when information indicates a visa holder could compromise our security, has violated US law, or visa revocation is otherwise warranted.”
He concluded with the message, “US visas are a privilege, rather than a right, reserved for those who make the United States better, not seek to destroy it from the inside.”
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