Visa privileges revoked? You bet – and Foreign Student Activists making trouble in America should pack their bags.
At a Glance
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio is revoking visas for foreign students who engage in disruptive activism, not just studying
- Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk was arrested after writing an op-ed criticizing Israel ties
- Approximately 300 visas have been revoked targeting individuals “creating a ruckus” on campuses
- Policy also targets gang members from groups like MS-13 and Tren de Aragua
- Rubio: “We gave you a visa to come and study and get a degree, not to become a social activist”
America’s Message to Foreign Troublemakers: Study or Leave
Finally, someone in Washington is acknowledging the obvious – that student visas are for studying, not stirring up chaos on American campuses. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has taken a firm stance on foreign students who decide protesting is more important than their education, specifically addressing the case of Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk. The Turkish PhD student was arrested by federal immigration authorities after writing an op-ed criticizing the university’s financial ties to Israel, an action Rubio equated with campus disruption.
The Secretary’s message couldn’t be clearer: America welcomes international students who want to learn, not those looking to turn our universities into protest zones. The Department of Homeland Security has claimed Ozturk engaged in activities supporting Hamas, though specific evidence hasn’t been publicly disclosed. Video of plain-clothes federal officers detaining Ozturk in an unmarked van sparked predictable outrage from the left, including Senator Chris Murphy who called it “chilling” – apparently forgetting that visas are privileges, not rights.
Rubio warns visas will be revoked for all foreign student ‘activists’ amid Tufts arrest https://t.co/13eLJxpffM
— Fox News (@FoxNews) March 27, 2025
No Special Treatment for Troublemakers – Regardless of Cause
Rubio has emphasized that the policy applies across the board, regardless of political alignment or cause. “I don’t care what movement you’re involved in,” he stated firmly, making it clear this isn’t about targeting specific viewpoints but about maintaining order on American campuses. The administration has revoked approximately 300 visas so far, focusing on individuals who disrupt peace rather than pursue their studies. This refreshing approach recognizes that America has no obligation to host foreign nationals who abuse their visa privileges.
“We gave you a visa to come and study and get a degree, not to become a social activist,” Marco Rubio declared, cutting through the nonsense that has allowed foreign agitators to disrupt American campuses.
The arrest has made Ozturk one of at least eight international students and faculty targeted in a crackdown on pro-Palestinian demonstrators. Tufts University wasn’t informed prior to her arrest, which occurred off campus, highlighting the federal government’s determination to address this issue directly. The left will undoubtedly cry about “free speech,” conveniently forgetting that non-citizens enjoying the privilege of studying in America don’t have constitutional rights to disrupt our educational institutions.
Beyond Campus Chaos: Taking Out the Trash
This visa revocation policy isn’t limited to campus troublemakers. Rubio also highlighted efforts to expel gang members from notorious groups like MS-13 and Tren de Aragua, with some initially detained at Guantánamo Bay before being deported to their home countries. This comprehensive approach recognizes that the United States has every right to determine who can enter and remain within our borders, whether they’re in classrooms or on the streets.
“Every country in the world has a right to decide who comes in as a visitor and who doesn’t,” Marco Rubio stated, expressing the common-sense position that somehow became controversial in our upside-down political landscape.
His message to foreign activists couldn’t be more direct: “We don’t want it. We don’t want it in our country. Go back and do it in your country.” It’s about time someone in authority stated the obvious. America’s universities are places of learning, not platforms for foreign nationals to wage ideological warfare. The days of watching our campuses turned into protest zones by people who aren’t even citizens appear to be coming to an end. For once, America is putting Americans first.
