If there's one thing you can count on right now, it's the fact that Secretary of State et al. Marco Rubio isn't dragging his heels when it comes to making sure that people from other countries who undermine the United States' laws and best interests aren't allowed to come to the United States.
He took that a step further today by announcing that the State Department will no longer issue visas to "foreign officials and persons who are complicit in censoring Americans."
"For too long, Americans have been fined, harassed, and even charged by foreign authorities for exercising their free speech rights," Rubio posted on X, adding, "Free speech is essential to the American way of life – a birthright over which foreign governments have no authority."
In another post, he said, "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."
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
Related: 'Today is the Day.' Rubio Announces MAJOR State Department Overhaul.
Here's Rubio's entire official statement from the State Department:
Free speech is among the most cherished rights we enjoy as Americans. This right, legally enshrined in our constitution, has set us apart as a beacon of freedom around the world. Even as we take action to reject censorship at home, we see troubling instances of foreign governments and foreign officials picking up the slack. In some instances, foreign officials have taken flagrant censorship actions against U.S. tech companies and U.S. citizens and residents when they have no authority to do so.
Today, I am announcing a new visa restriction policy that will apply to foreign nationals who are responsible for censorship of protected expression in the United States. It is unacceptable for foreign officials to issue or threaten arrest warrants on U.S. citizens or U.S. residents for social media posts on American platforms while physically present on U.S. soil. It is similarly unacceptable for foreign officials to demand that American tech platforms adopt global content moderation policies or engage in censorship activity that reaches beyond their authority and into the United States. We will not tolerate encroachments upon American sovereignty, especially when such encroachments undermine the exercise of our fundamental right to free speech.
This visa restriction policy is pursuant to Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which authorizes the Secretary of State to render inadmissible any alien whose entry into the Unites States “would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.” Certain family members may also be covered by these restrictions.
Recommended: You Won't Believe What Rubio Found in Biden's State Department Files
Rubio didn't mention any specific countries, but I think we can all guess some of the ones he had in mind with this new policy. Either way, it's just another move that proves that the Donald Trump administration is putting U.S. citizens first. Contrast that to the Joe Biden administration, which was literally using the State Department to censor us in the name of combating "disinformation."
At PJMedia, we're big fans of free speech — and Secretary Rubio — and we try not to miss a chance to show you just how often the Biden administration tried to squash it. You won't find headlines like that in the fake news media.
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