The State Department announced on Tuesday, October. 14, that the visas of at least six foreign citizens were revoked after they celebrated the assassination of Charlie Kirk on social media.
The department made the announcement in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, sharing screenshots and excerpts of the six celebratory posts in question.
“The United States has no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans,” the department posted. They suggested that more visas could be revoked as they continue to identify those publicly joking or reveling in Kirk’s death.
The names and types of visas were both excluded from the post. The provided examples included Argentine, South African, Mexican, Brazilian, German and Paraguayan nationals, all of whom posted criticisms of Kirk.
Kirk was killed last month while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University during his “America Comeback” tour. The co-founder of Turning Point USA — a student organization promoting conservative ideas on college campuses — received both conservative support and liberal ridicule.
President Donald Trump posthumously awarded Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom the same day as the State Department’s announcement.
These cancellations followed earlier warnings from September. The day after the shooting, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau took to X to express his disapproval of the celebrations, saying, “Please feel free to bring such comments by foreigners to my attention so that the @StateDept can protect the American people.”
“Visa revocations are underway,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted days later. “If you are here on a visa and cheering on the public assassination of a political figure, prepare to be deported. You are not welcome in this country.”
It is not the first time the government has taken action against those speaking out about Kirk. In September, late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel’s show was temporarily removed from ABC. Professionals across the country have been fired for comments related to Kirk’s death.
The cancellations have raised concerns regarding free speech, prompting a response from the legal defense group Consular Accountability Project, co-founded by immigration attorney Eric Lee. “If your visa was denied or revoked due to Charlie Kirk-related speech,” Lee posted, “the Consular Accountability Project (@ConsularActProj) is interested in representing you pro bono.”
