State Department defends visa revocation after Glastonbury incident; says confidentiality rules do not prevent public action

The State Department defended the public revocation of U.S. visas for performers linked to a widely reported concert incident, saying the administration applied its standard vetting process and that governments have a sovereign right to decide who may enter the United States.

A reporter asked why visa records — traditionally treated as confidential — had been publicly discussed after a deputy secretary's tweet revealed that visas were revoked for the members of a band following their conduct at Glastonbury. The State Department spokesperson said the administration has “a very public policy and procedure and process now, that we're discussing regarding national security and how we are handling the visa process.”

The spokesperson further said, “Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country,” and described the decision as consistent with U.S. standards for admission. The briefing named Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau as the official whose tweet announced the revocations and said other officials had confirmed it.

Reporters pressed whether public-facing incidents always lead to public visa actions; the spokesperson declined to provide a general rule, saying only that in this case officials chose to make the action public. No specific statute or internal regulation was cited at the briefing, and the spokesperson declined to discuss internal deliberations or operational details of visa adjudications.