Rubio says US can revoke visas, no foreign national has 'constitutional right' to entry

BUDAPEST, HUNGRY: Secretary of State Marco Rubio, while visiting Europe, delivered a stark message about US immigration policy, emphasizing that foreign nationals do not have a right to enter the United States.

Speaking alongside Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Rubio reiterated that visas are not guaranteed or protected by any constitutional entitlement. His remarks came as part of broader actions by the  State Department under the Trump administration focused on national interests and security.

Marco Rubio defends tough visa revocations

Rubio stressed that his role at the State Department is to identify individuals whose presence in the US might pose a threat to foreign policy or national security, and then act accordingly.

He stated, “we’re going to take that person’s visa away. we’ve done that in a lot of cases over the last year.” Rubio then elaborated that visas are not a constitutional right.

He continued, “I’ve said this repeatedly; I don’t know why it’s so hard for some to comprehend it, so let me repeat it again: No one is entitled to a visa, there is no constitutional right to a visa.” He defined a visa simply as permission to enter the country as a visitor.

Rubio emphasized that a visa is a privilege granted by the US and can be revoked if misused, “If you enter our country as a visitor, and as a visitor in our country, be it a student, a journalist, a tourist… and you undertake activities that are against the national interest, the national security of the United States, we will take away your visa.”

He further added, “In fact, if we knew you were going to do that, we probably wouldn’t have given you your visa. That’s what we do.”

State Department visa actions under Marco Rubio and Trump administration

President Donald Trump’s first year of his second term, the State Department has revoked more than 100,000 visas from foreign nationals. This includes roughly 8,000 visas from international students and about 2,500 visas from foreign nationals who had run-ins with the law.

In addition to revocations, the Department has halted issuing visas to nationals of 75 countries that produce what the administration views as “overwhelming welfare-dependent migrants” to the US.

The Department also wrote in a statement issued last month, “The freeze will remain active until the US can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people.”

The statement continued, “The pause impacts dozens of countries – including Somalia, Haiti, Iran, and Eritrea – whose immigrants often become public charges on the United States upon arrival, We are working to ensure the generosity of the American people will no longer be abused. The Trump Administration will always put America First.”

Widespread reports of extensive welfare utilization among certain immigrant groups in the US have drawn significant national attention, particularly following the exposure of a large-scale fraud scheme involving Somali migrants in Minnesota.