Rubio says U.S. is deporting visa holders who celebrated Kirk's killing
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a briefing in Jerusalem, Israel, on Monday. Photo: Nathan Howard/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
Visa revocations "are under way" over non-U.S. citizens celebrating the killing of conservative podcaster Charlie Kirk, per a Monday night post by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The big picture: Rubio made the announcement on X while sharing a video from a Fox News interview Monday during which he was asked if he planned to restrict visa access or revoke visas for those celebrating Kirk's killing.
- The second Trump administration has already revoked hundreds of visas in a sweeping immigration crackdown that's targeted students with pro-Palestinian views in a strategy First Amendment and immigration advocates argue is impinging on free speech.
- The administration said last month it's scrutinizing the records of all U.S. visa holders for potential violations that could result in deportations.
The latest: When asked during a briefing at a Tel Aviv airport on Tuesday how many visas he had revoked, Rubio told reporters: "We've revoked visas of people. I don't know if we've revoked visas of people that are inside the country. We've most certainly been denying visas."
- Asked whether the State Department was looking at any specific individuals' social media posts, Rubio said: "We've got to go at process in all these. ... I'm sure there'll be some that are revoked."
Driving the news: Fox News' Gillian Turner noted during her interview with Rubio that Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau had been "calling out on social media foreigners who he says are celebrating, glorifying" the fatal shooting of Kirk in Utah last Wednesday.
- Landau had indicated in his Thursday post that the State Department would review the legal status of immigrants "praising, rationalizing, or making light" of Kirk's killing and Turner asked Rubio about plans for those U.S. visa holders.
- Rubio said a visa "means you're a visitor to the United States" and "we are not in the business of inviting people to visit our country who are going to be involved in negative and destructive behavior."
- People who "celebrate the murder, the execution, the assassination, of a political figure" should not be allowed in the country, he said. "And if they're already here, we should be revoking their visa."
Zoom in: "America will not host foreigners who celebrate the death of our fellow citizens," Rubio said on 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. You are not welcome in this country."
- Representatives for the State Department did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment on how many visas have been revoked so far.
Go deeper: Thousands flagged online for cheering Charlie Kirk's death
Editor's note: This article has been updated with more comments from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and further context.
