US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reiterated a serious warning he’s laid down for foreign visitors seeking to come to the country one too many times. Given his top position under the Donald Trump administration, Rubio has regularly reminded international travellers that a US visa is not a “constitutional right” but a “privilege” that can be revoked any time if its holder poses a threat to national security in any form.
Delivering the same reminder to foreigners at a press conference this week, the US State Secretary sought to instill fear in the hearts of those taking the US visa “privilege” for granted.
Marco Rubio reiterates US visa warning
During the Q&A segment of a joint press briefing with Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest this week, a Reuters reporter brought up queries regarding the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and how some US court rulings have opposed certain deportations citing potential violation of the First Amendment rights of people.
The report particularly brought up the case of Rümeysa Öztürk, a Tufts University PhD student, wherein a US immigration judge rejected the Trump admin’s effort to deport her as part of its attempts to target pro-Palestinian activism on US campuses. The PhD student’s F-1, aka Student visa, was revoked after she co-authored an editorial on Gaza.
Addressing the student case, Rubio said his job at the State Department was to identify the presence of foreign guests in the country in case they pose a threat to America’s foreign policy or national security. In case it does, “we’re going to take that person’s visa away,” the State Secretary affirmed.
Noting how they’ve followed the protocol on several occasions the past year, Rubio reiterated what he’s said multiple times before: “Fact is that visas are not a right.”
SECRETARY RUBIO: I've said this repeatedly. I don't know why it's so hard for some to comprehend it.
— Department of State (@StateDept) February 16, 2026
No one is entitled to a visa.
If you enter our country as a visitor and undertake activities against the national interests of the United States, we will take away your visa. pic.twitter.com/Y9hWlZpKBX
He continued, “I don’t know why it’s so hard for some to comprehend it, so let me repeat it again. A visa – no one’s entitled to a visa. There is no constitutional right to a visa. Okay, a visa is a permission to enter our country as a visitor.”
He further noted that if someone enters the US as a visitor, be it a student, tourist, journalist or anyone else, and they participate in activities that go against the national interest and national security of America, their visa will be taken away.
In some cases, the visa revocation may even precede the action’s (which the US deems problematic) execution by an international visitor. “In fact, if we knew you were going to do it, we probably wouldn’t have given you your visa,” Rubio said during the press conference.
Trump admin vs US judges on visa revocation
Further responding to claims of US courts’ intervention in cases like that of the Tufts student, Rubio asserted, “The decision to remove someone from our country after we take away our visa, that belongs to other agencies of our government.” Declaring judges as being part of a “different branch of government,” he said, “They’re not going to tell us how to conduct the foreign policy of the United States.”
Rubio firmly added, “All I can opine to you on is the – is taking away someone’s visas. And no judge is going to tell the Executive Branch how to conduct foreign policy because that’s not up to judges. That’s up to the Executive Branch.”
Just earlier this month, the US State Department and Rubio were sued over the previous Trump admin decision to suspend immigrant visa approvals to citizens of 75 countries.
Filed in a US district court in New York, the suit accused them of denying immigration rights to citizens of some countries on “the demonstrably false claim” that they are likely to seek welfare payments.
In January, a formal X announcement stated: “The State Department will pause immigrant visa processing from 75 countries whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates. The freeze will remain active until the U.S. can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people.”
Asserting the “Trump administration will always put America first,” the State Department announcement thread further stated, “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.”