The State Department said it will monitor and, when warranted, revoke visas held by foreign nationals who "glorify violence and hatred" following the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a speaking event in Utah.
Deputy Secretary of State Chris Landau, posting on X, also known as the platform formerly Twitter, said he had directed consular officials to "undertake appropriate action" after seeing social media posts from some foreign visa holders that praised or rationalized the killing. "Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country," Landau wrote.
Landau said he would have consular officers monitor replies to his post that he said included rhetoric from people in the United States on visas, and invited the public to bring such comments to the State Department's attention. In June, the department announced it would review social media accounts of visa applicants and asked some applicants to make accounts public for vetting.
The announcement followed the Sept. 10 shooting at Utah Valley University in Orem, where Kirk, 31, co-founder of Turning Point USA and father of two, was struck once in the neck while answering a question at an event that drew about 3,000 attendees. Authorities recovered a high-powered bolt-action rifle in a nearby wooded area and said they believe the shot originated from a rooftop approximately 200 yards away.
The suspect remained at large as federal and local authorities continued to investigate. The FBI released imagery and urged the public to help identify the shooter.
The State Department said it has revoked more than 6,000 student visas in recent months for a variety of reasons, including overstays and criminal violations. The department said the "vast majority" of those legal violations involved assault, driving under the influence, burglary or "support for terrorism." The department did not provide an immediate estimate of how many visa revocations might result from inflammatory social media posts related to the Kirk shooting.
Landau's post described his reaction to online commentary as "disgusted" and emphasized the department's authority to remove visa privileges from noncitizens whose public statements run afoul of U.S. law or visa terms. Consular officials typically have discretion to cancel visas for conduct that makes a person ineligible for entry or otherwise inconsistent with the terms of a visa.
Kirk's death drew swift attention across political and law-enforcement communities and renewed debate over safety at political events. Officials have said they were continuing to interview witnesses and review surveillance and other evidence as part of the investigation.
The State Department's renewed focus on social media carried over from earlier efforts to screen visa applicants. The department's policy change in June expanded routine checks of publicly available social media information as part of background reviews for visa processing. Advocates for civil liberties have previously raised concerns about privacy and due process around the review and potential penalties tied to social media content.
Federal authorities asked anyone with information about the shooting or the identity of the shooter to contact the FBI. The investigation remains active, and officials cautioned that details and leads are subject to change as investigators collect and analyze evidence.
