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Sen. Marco Rubio said the United States has both the authority and responsibility to deny or revoke visas when foreign nationals act in ways that undermine American national interests or national security, stressing that visas are a privilege, not a right.

Rubio made the remarks while explaining the administration’s approach to immigration enforcement and visa policy, which he said is directly tied to priorities set by the President and central to the agenda voters supported.

“Our visa system, okay, who you allow to visit your country should reflect the national interest,” Rubio said.

“We said that from the very beginning. It was one of the directives that we got from the President. It’s one of the things he ran on.”

Rubio explained that visa decisions are routinely made based on an individual’s actions abroad as well as their conduct once they arrive in the United States.

According to Rubio, U.S. law allows — and in some cases requires — the government to take action against visa holders who engage in activities that run counter to American interests.

“And so our visa process basically is and there are, sometimes we’ll deny people visas because of activities they’ve undertaken overseas,” Rubio said.

“Other times, it’s people that have visas but are in the United States doing things that run counter to our national interest, and the law gives us the right, and in fact, I would argue the obligation, to remove people like that from our country, and we’re going to continue to do it.”

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Rubio emphasized that the government’s responsibility does not end once a visa is granted. He noted that individuals may enter the country under one pretense and later engage in conduct that violates the terms or spirit of their visa.

“I mean, it’s as simple as that,” Rubio said.

“I mean, sometimes somebody comes in and says, Oh, I want to come in as a student. They’re here as a student. And then once they’re here, they’re involved in nefarious activity, we’re going to remove them from the country.”

He added that visa holders may enter under a variety of classifications, including students, researchers, or other visitors, but none of those categories grant permanent or unconditional permission to remain in the United States.

“But then maybe they’re here as a researcher. Maybe they’re here, as I don’t want to say journalists, because you guys will get upset, but you know, it could be anything,” Rubio said.

“You know, these are visitors to the country. A visa is a visitor. It’s not a right, by the way.”

Rubio also pointed out that visa denials occur daily at U.S. embassies and consulates around the world, often based on information uncovered during interviews or background reviews.

“We deny visas every day all over the world,” he said.

“People will go to an embassy, they’ll sit for an interview, and the consular officer will deny them a visa because of something that came up in the record, because of something that came up in their interview, whatever it may be.”

He argued that if the government has the authority to deny a visa before entry, it logically retains the authority to revoke that visa if circumstances change after entry.

“So if you have the power to deny someone a visa before they get one, you most certainly have the power to revoke it once they once they get one, and then do something they shouldn’t be doing,” Rubio said.

Rubio concluded by reiterating that visa decisions are rooted in protecting the country, noting that national interest and national security remain the guiding standards.

“So there’s a variety of reason why visas are denied, but all of them are because it implicates our national interest or national security in some way,” he said.

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