By MATTHEW LEE
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has revoked the visas of six foreigners deemed by U.S. officers to have made derisive feedback or made mild of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk final month.
The State Division mentioned Tuesday it had decided they need to lose their visas after reviewing their on-line social media posts and clips about Kirk, who was killed whereas talking at a Utah faculty campus on Sept. 10.
The announcement got here as President Donald Trump was posthumously awarding him America’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. At Kirk’s funeral in September, Trump referred to as him a “nice American hero” and “martyr” for freedom.
The administration and its supporters have focused individuals for his or her feedback about Kirk, resulting in firings or different self-discipline of journalists, lecturers and others, and elevating free speech considerations.
The six foreigners who had their visas revoked have been from Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, Paraguay and South Africa. They weren’t recognized.
Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio “will defend our borders, our tradition, and our residents by implementing our immigration legal guidelines,” the State Division mentioned. “Aliens who benefit from America’s hospitality whereas celebrating the assassination of our residents might be eliminated.”
Vice President JD Vance and different prime U.S. officers have inspired individuals to name out criticism about Kirk that they see on-line. In an uncommon tweet final month, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau requested social media customers to repeat him on any related posts, saying he was personally “disgusted to see some on social media praising, rationalizing, or making mild of the occasion, and have directed our consular officers to undertake applicable motion.”
Along with Tuesday’s motion, the administration has ramped up efforts to establish and probably expel hundreds of foreigners in america, notably college students, who it says have both fomented or participated in unrest or publicly supported protests towards Israel’s army operations in Gaza. The administration has additionally denied visas to candidates whose social media histories have been essential of its insurance policies.
Among the many higher-profile instances, the administration has expelled South Africa’s ambassador to america for feedback essential of Trump, revoked a visa for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to attend the U.N. Basic Meeting and yanked the visas for British punk-rap duo Bob Vylan. It mentioned it’s reviewing the standing of the greater than 55 million present U.S. visa holders for potential violations of its requirements.
These actions have been criticized by civil rights teams as violations of constitutional protections for freedom of speech, which apply to anybody in america and never simply to Americans.
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