Secretary of State Marco Rubio put visa holders in this country on notice that he is no longer playing games with those who cause problems in this country.
Things ultimately escalated to the point where officials began scanning social media for posts from people who were whipping others up against this country.
Rubio promised to yank their visas, and he has done just that.
Not long after taking his post, Rubio put everyone on notice that foreign disrupters who were creating problems at college campuses around the country and leading protests that turned violent would not be tolerated.
About those who were at risk of revocation, he stated, “I don’t know actually if it’s primarily student visas. It’s a combination of visas.”
Rubio continued, “They’re visitors to the country. If they’re taking activities that are counter to our foreign -- to our national interest, to our foreign policy, we’ll revoke the visa.”
Respect the country that allowed you to come here, that is all he was asking.
Rubio and the Trump administration took a lot of flak for this policy, but the secretary never backed down.
He put in a zero-tolerance policy and told visa holders they would only get one strike. You swing once, pack your bags.
Dems said this was akin to suppressing free speech, but I would wonder if they have ever traveled internationally. There are countless countries where you have to jump through a series of hoops just to visit, let alone stay for an extended period.
And if you are going to be an expat or study abroad for years at a time, there are all kinds of restrictions, including a prohibition against starting any problems or breaking laws, so the U.S. policy is right in line with what most countries are already doing (and no, I am not talking about countries like China and Russia, but countries like Australia, New Zealand, and Thailand).
The State Department broke the news this week that more than 80,000 visas have already been revoked, with about 8,000 of them being student visas.
The department announced it on X, posting, "Promises made, promises kept. It further stated that President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio "will always put the safety and interests of the American people first."
If you recall, this follows Trump’s executive order, issued after he took office, in which he required that visa holders "do not bear hostile attitudes toward its citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles, and do not advocate for, aid, or support designated foreign terrorists and other threats to our national security."
Respect -- if you give it, you can stay. Dump on our country, and out the door you go.
