US revokes visas for 6 foreigners over Charlie Kirk-related speech
The news came as Trump posthumously awarded the right-wing activist the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honour
The Trump administration has revoked the visas of six foreigners deemed by US officials to have made derisive comments or made light of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk last month.
The US State Department said on Tuesday it had determined they should lose their visas after reviewing their online social media posts and clips about Kirk, who was killed while speaking at a Utah college campus on September 10.
The announcement came as US President Donald Trump was posthumously awarding him America’s highest civilian honour, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. At Kirk’s funeral in September, Trump called him a “great American hero” and “martyr” for freedom.
The administration and its supporters have targeted people for their comments about Kirk, leading to firings or other discipline of journalists, teachers and others, and raising free speech concerns.
The six foreigners who had their visas revoked were from Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, Paraguay and South Africa. They were not identified.
Charlie Kirk murder suspect taken into custody
Trump and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio “will defend our borders, our culture, and our citizens by enforcing our immigration laws”, the State Department said.