The State Department announced it has imposed visa restrictions on five individuals identified as leading organized efforts to pressure American platforms into censoring, demonetizing, or suppressing viewpoints they oppose, actions the department said were carried out through radical activist networks and weaponized nongovernmental organizations aligned with foreign censorship regimes.
According to the department, these efforts have targeted American speakers and U.S.-based companies and represent an extraterritorial overreach that threatens American sovereignty. The Secretary of State determined that the entry, presence, or activities of the individuals involved could have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.
As a result, the individuals are generally barred from entering the United States under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The department said certain family members may also be covered by the restrictions. Based on the same foreign policy determination, the Department of Homeland Security may initiate removal proceedings against individuals already in the United States pursuant to INA Section 237(a)(4)(C), which renders such individuals deportable.
The State Department said President Trump’s America First foreign policy rejects violations of U.S. sovereignty, including foreign efforts to regulate or suppress American speech beyond their borders. Officials said the department stands ready to expand the list of restricted individuals if foreign actors do not reverse course.
Read the State Dept. Press Release
