The US State Department has revoked the visas of six foreign nationals after they made social media comments about the assassination of far-right activist Charlie Kirk. The department stated on Tuesday that it has 'no obligation' to host foreigners who 'celebrate heinous' acts against Americans.
In a thread on X, the State Department listed examples of individuals from Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, Paraguay, and South Africa whose visas were revoked. The individuals were not named, but screenshots allowed some to be identified. One comment read: 'Charlie Kirk won’t be remembered as a hero. He was used to astroturf a movement of white nationalist trailer trash!'
The department concluded that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Donald Trump 'will defend our borders, our culture, and our citizens by enforcing our immigration laws.' This follows a call by Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau for social media users to send him posts critical of Kirk.
The administration has intensified efforts to identify and expel foreign students involved in protests against Israel's actions in Gaza, and now requires foreign visitors to make social media accounts public. Recent actions include expelling South Africa's ambassador, revoking a visa for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and cancelling visas for British duo Bob Vylan.
Civil rights groups have criticised these measures as violations of free speech protections under the US Constitution, which apply to all individuals in the country.
