Here comes another US visa warning! Defending President Donald Trump’s immigration policies and crackdown, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio doubled down on his notes of caution for foreign nationals. “Visiting America is not an entitlement. It is a privilege extended to those who respect our laws and values,” he began in an opinion-based piece penned for Fox News.

“US visa holders should know in no uncertain terms that the U.S. government’s rigorous security vetting does not end once a visa is granted,” he argued while once again speaking up against pro-Palestinian campus protests, smearing them as “antisemitic activities and intimidation of Americans.” Saying that “foreigners” shut down elite college campuses for American citizens, he accused international students of “harassing” Jewish students. “The Trump administration is committed to taking the necessary steps to stop these activities at American universities,” he wrote.

Flipping the pro-Palestinian focus of these yesteryear protest, the Secretary of State positioned them as abetting “terrorist organisations,” adding he will “continue exercising my authority to support President Trump’s zero-tolerance approach to foreign nationals…”

ALSO READ

Marco Rubio’s op-ed comes after a US immigration judge ruled that Palestinian activist and Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil can be deported from the US. The contentious hearing, in turn, followed the state secretary’s submission of short memo to the court, arguing that the lawful permanent resident and protest organiser’s “current or expected beliefs, statements or association” stood against America’s foreign policy interests.

US visa not a right: Marco Rubio

Through his latest Fox News op-ed, Rubio stated, “The Supreme Court has made clear for decades that visa holders or other aliens cannot use the First Amendment to shield otherwise impermissible actions taken to support designated foreign terrorist organizations like Hamas, Hizballah, or the Houthis, or violate other U.S. laws. They will continue to face consequences – including visa denial, revocation, or deportation.”

The Florida politician concluded his piece warning US visa holders that the country won’t “hesitate to act decisively” if their information indicated they “could compromise” the country’s security or have violated US law. Calling visa revocation “warranted” in such cases, he firmly stated, “US visas are a privilege, rather than a right, reserved for those who make the United States better, not seek to destroy it from the inside.”

New immigration rules sweep in as secy normalises US visa revocation

Rubio’s piercing words made headlines around the same time as the White House announced sweeping new US immigration rules. The Trump administration’s tightened policy updates require mandatory compliance from April 11 onwards. Having already taken effect on Friday, these changes dictate that foreign nationals in the US, including green card holders and individuals on H-1B and F-1 visas, will now have to carry their documents with them all times.

ALSO READ

“All noncitizens 18 and older must carry this documentation at all times. This administration has directed DHS to prioritise enforcement, there will be no sanctuary for noncompliance,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.

The compliance requirements further suggest that all noncitizens who have been present in the US for 30 days or more as of April 11, must register with the federal government. Similarly, those entering on or after April 11 are required to register within 30 days of their arrival. Based on the Alien Registration Act that was enacted during World War II and Trump’s executive order titled “Protecting the American People Against Invasion,” the new rules even affect legal permanent residents.

Those turning 14 in the US have 30 days (following the 14th birthday) to re-register and submit fingerprints regardless of prior registration status. Moreover, parents or guardians of minors under 14 are needed to register the minors if they remain in the US for 30 days or longer.