Trump Admin To Ban Visas For Foreign Officials ‘Complicit In Censoring Americans’

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a visa restriction policy Wednesday aimed at authorities and individuals accused of being “complicit in censoring Americans.”

Rubio accused foreign officials and governments of targeting U.S. citizens’ freedom of speech and emphasized the importance of the First Amendment in a series of posts on X.

“For too long, Americans have been fined, harassed, and even charged by foreign authorities for exercising their free speech rights. Today, I am announcing a new visa restriction policy that will apply to foreign officials and persons who are complicit in censoring Americans,” he wrote. “Free speech is essential to the American way of life — a birthright over which foreign governments have no authority.”

“Foreigners who work to undermine the rights of Americans should not enjoy the privilege of traveling to our country,” the secretary of state continued. “Whether in Latin America, Europe, or elsewhere, the days of passive treatment for those who work to undermine the rights of Americans are over.”

Foreigners who work to undermine the rights of Americans should not enjoy the privilege of traveling to our country. Whether in Latin America, Europe, or elsewhere, the days of passive treatment for those who work to undermine the rights of Americans are over.

— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) May 28, 2025

Rubio made this announcement amid the Trump administration’s dispute with Harvard.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revoked Harvard’s ability to enroll international students Thursday, prompting a lawsuit from Ivy League institution. On Friday, a federal district judge issued a temporary restraining order to block the DHS order. (RELATED: Alan Dershowitz Says He Knows Exactly Which Parts Of Harvard Trump Should Defund)

On Tuesday, the State Department paused interviews for student and exchange visas as applicants’ social media posts are reviewed.