The Trump administration has revoked the visas of six foreign nationals who were allegedly involved in mocking the assassination of Charlie Kirk. The State Department announced on Tuesday that it had reviewed social media posts and videos about Kirk following his death on a Utah college campus on September 10.
Officials said that after finding several disturbing posts, they recommended revoking those visas. Among them was an Argentine who claimed Kirk had "devoted his entire life spreading racist, xenophobic, and misogynistic rhetoric" and said he deserved to "burn in hell." Another was a South African who mocked Kirk's supporters, saying they're upset that "the racist rally ended in attempted martyrdom."
No Tolerance from Trump Admin
A Mexican citizen whose visa was also revoked wrote that Kirk "died a racist, died a misogynist... some people deserve to die." A Brazilian national commented that Kirk "died too late," accusing the conservative activist of inspiring "a Nazi rally where they marched in homage to him."
The remaining two people were from Germany and Paraguay. The German user said, "When fascists die, democrats don't complain' and the latter called Kirk a 'son of a b**** [who] he died by his own rules."
The revelations surfaced shortly after Trump posthumously awarded Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.
Kirk's widow, Erika, struggled to hold back tears as she thanked Trump, calling the award "the best birthday gift ever."
Trump, who had just returned from a fast-paced peace mission in the Middle East the previous night, said: "I raced back halfway around the globe. I was going to call Erika and ask, 'Could you maybe move it to Friday?' but I didn't have the courage to call."
"But you know why I didn't call? Because I heard today was Charlie's birthday."
Kirk's parents also attended the ceremony, even though they have largely stayed out of the public eye since their son's death. During Kirk's funeral in September, Trump described him as a "great American hero" and a "martyr for freedom."
Tracking Kirk's Critics
Since then, the administration and its supporters have gone after people who made controversial remarks about Kirk, resulting in firings and disciplinary actions against journalists, teachers, and others — sparking growing concerns over free speech.
In a statement, the State Department said that Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio "will continue to defend our borders, our culture, and our citizens by strictly enforcing our immigration laws."
"Aliens who take advantage of America's hospitality while celebrating the assassination of our citizens will be removed."
The decision has drawn sharp criticism and outrage from free speech advocates.
Conor Fitzpatrick, an attorney with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), told the Daily Mail, "You can't defend 'our culture' by eroding the very cornerstone of what America stands for: freedom of speech and thought.
"The Trump administration must stop punishing people for their opinions alone. The Supreme Court has been clear that noncitizens have a right to freedom of speech.
"In America, no one should fear a midnight knock at the door because of their political views."
FIRE has filed a lawsuit against the administration, challenging the legal provisions that Secretary Rubio is using to deport people based on what they've said.
