New bill grants Rubio power to revoke passports based on speech

A new House bill would grant Secretary of State Marco Rubio unprecedented authority to revoke American citizens’ passports based on allegations of supporting terrorism, raising fears that it could weaponize travel restrictions against protected speech.

Thought police?: The provision, sponsored by Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) as part of a broader State Department reorganization bill, would allow the secretary of state to deny or revoke passports for individuals “determined to have knowingly aided, assisted, abetted or otherwise provided material support to a foreign terrorist organization.” Scheduled for markup this Wednesday, it claims to target “terrorists and traffickers,” but a 2010 Supreme Court ruling states that even offering advice about international law to terror groups could be classified as “material support.” Critics argue the vague language could encompass protected speech.

Why this matters: The bill emerges amid the Trump administration’s broader immigration crackdown, which already includes reviewing more than 55 million valid visa holders for potential violations and implementing new travel restrictions like a $250 “visa integrity fee” beginning Oct. 1. These measures have contributed to a fifth consecutive month of declining overseas arrivals, with Chinese visits still 53% below 2019 levels and Indian visits down 2.4%.

For Asian Americans, the legislation poses particular concerns given the community’s significant representation among temporary visa holders and the administration’s expanded vetting processes that disproportionately impact Asian populations. The bill’s broad language could also target advocacy groups or journalists covering issues like the Israel-Palestine conflict, as evidenced by Rubio’s March revocation of Turkish doctoral student Rumeysa Ozturk’s visa based on a Tufts Daily op-ed critical of Israel that did not even cite Hamas.

What’s next: The House Foreign Affairs Committee will consider the legislation during its Wednesday markup. While the bill includes an appeals process allowing citizens to challenge passport denials within 60 days, the American Civil Liberties Union’s Kia Hamadanchy dismissed this as inadequate, telling The Intercept that there are “no standards set” for the appeals process. The legislation’s fate may depend on whether Republicans recognize the potential for future Democratic administrations to use similar powers against conservative activists.

Separately, Rubio met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday during a two-day Middle East visit as Israeli forces intensified operations in northern Gaza.