6 foreigners' visas revoked as US polices speech on Charlie Kirk
3 Min Read
The Trump administration’s State Department has revoked multiple visas in a widening campaign to punish foreign nationals who posted online criticism of Charlie Kirk’s killing.
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Erika Kirk and President Donald Trump listen as a military aide reads the citation before Trump posthumously awards the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Charlie Kirk in the Rose Garden of the White House, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP)
The United States has revoked the visas of six foreign nationals after they posted comments on social media about the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, according to a statement issued Tuesday by Donald Trump’s State Department.
Kirk, 31, rose to prominence in US conservative politics as one of the most influential right-wing youth activists. Through his organization Turning Point USA, he has sought to spread conservative values on college campuses and mobilize a new generation of right-leaning voters.
He is also known for his unwavering support for "Israel", positioning himself as one of the most vocal defenders of the occupation within the US conservative movement. Kirk was among the first of his generation to harness social media platforms to shape American public opinion, using them to amplify both pro-"Israel" narratives and far-right political causes.
“The United States has no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans,” the department wrote on X. The statement added that officials are continuing to “identify visa holders who celebrated the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk.”
In a thread posted on X, the State Department listed six “examples of aliens who are no longer welcome in the US.” The posts included screenshots and remarks from individuals identified as citizens of Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, Paraguay, and South Africa. The thread was shared on the platform owned by Elon Musk, a prominent Trump donor who has described himself as “a free speech absolutist.”
.@POTUS and @SecRubio will defend our borders, our culture, and our citizens by enforcing our immigration laws.
— Department of State (@StateDept) October 14, 2025
Aliens who take advantage of America’s hospitality while celebrating the assassination of our citizens will be removed.
Although the department did not name the individuals, at least two of them could be identified through the screenshots, one of whom has since become the target of online abuse by conservative users.
The thread concluded with a statement asserting that President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio “will defend our borders, our culture, and our citizens by enforcing our immigration laws. Aliens who take advantage of America’s hospitality while celebrating the assassination of our citizens will be removed.”
Wider context
The action followed comments last month by Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, who urged users to report social media posts mocking or justifying Kirk’s killing. “I am disgusted to see some on social media praising, rationalizing, or making light of the event,” Landau said, adding that he had instructed consular officials to “undertake appropriate action.”
The move comes amid broader efforts by the Trump administration to identify and penalize foreigners accused of “unrest", including students who participated in protests condemning "Israel’s" genocide on Palestinians in Gaza. Officials have also required foreign visitors to disclose their social media accounts before entering the country.
In recent months, Washington has expelled South Africa’s ambassador for remarks critical of Trump, revoked Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s visa to attend the United Nations General Assembly, and canceled visas for the British punk-rap duo Bob Vylan.
The administration has also announced a review of visa holders, estimated at over 55 million, to assess potential “violations of US standards.”
Civil rights advocates have condemned the policy as a clear violation of free speech protections guaranteed under the US Constitution, emphasizing that those rights extend to anyone within the country’s borders, not only American citizens.
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