Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that “visa revocations are under way” for foreign visitors celebrating the death of Charlie Kirk.
“America will host foreigners who celebrate the death of our fellow citizens,” Rubio said in a post on the social media platform X. “Visa revocations are under way. If you are here on a visa and cheering on the public assassination of a political figure, prepare to be deported.”
Kirk, 31, was fatally shot at an event on the campus of Utah Valley University last week. The conservative activist and Turning Point USA founder was a close ally of President Trump and other administration officials.
During an interview with Fox News on Monday, Rubio said that the State Department will not grant visas to those celebrating Kirk’s death, and will revoke visas from those doing so.
“We are not in the business of inviting people to visit our country who are going to be involved in negative and destructive, okay,” Rubio added. “If I invite someone, if we invite someone to visit the United States of America, as a student, as a tourist, as whatever, then the standard they should be held to is very high.”
In the aftermath of Kirk’s murder, an organization called the Charlie Kirk Data Foundation has brought attention to those posting celebratory messages about his death.
The organization said on X Sunday that it had received over 63,000 data entries regarding such messages. As of Tuesday, its website had been taken down.
Vice President Vance has called for those supporting Kirk’s murder to be fired on Monday. Dozens of people around the country, from university employees to airline pilots, have been fired for celebrating the shooting.
“Hell, call their employer. We don’t believe in political violence, but we do believe in civility, and there is no civility in the celebration of political assassination,” Vance said, while hosting Kirk’s podcast.
Since January, the State Department has cracked down on visa holders, saying in August that over 6,000 student visas were revoked since Trump returned to office. The administration has specifically targeted pro-Palestinian student visa holders, saying those individuals undermine U.S. foreign policy by supporting Hamas.
Also, last month, the State Department began vetting all U.S. visa holders — over 55 million in total — for deportable offenses, which it deemed in a statement to The Hill as “any indicators of overstays, criminal activity, threats to public safety, engaging in any form of terrorist activity, or providing support to a terrorist organization.”
Source: The Hill
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