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Senators Press Rubio on Broad Visa Revocations and Use of 1952 Immigration Law
Summary
Senators pressed Secretary Rubio about revoking foreign national visas under the Immigration and Nationality Act, asking how many revocations have occurred and whether the administration's interpretation respects due process. Rubio said revocations numbered in the hundreds to low thousands but declined a precise public tally during the hearing.
Senator Merkley and others questioned Secretary Rubio about the administration's use of visa‑revocation authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952. Merkley asked how many student visas had been revoked after Rubio earlier reported revocations; Rubio said he did not have an exact current total but estimated "probably in the thousands" overall while distinguishing categories of visa cancellations.
Nut graf: Committee members raised constitutional and due‑process concerns about the scope of executive visa‑revocation authority and asked for written clarification and figures; Rubio defended the use of visa controls as a privilege, not a right, and said multiple legal pathways account for different revocation categories.
Rubio said some revocations were for visa‑term violations (for example, individuals who dropped out of school or were subject to criminal investigations) and some tied to national‑interest determinations; he declined to provide a definitive public count in the hearing and offered to follow up with committee staff for precise figures.
Several senators, including Senator Merkley, emphasized due‑process concerns and said broad or predictive use of revocation authority raised constitutional questions that they expect will be litigated. "The fifth amendment is very powerful in protecting citizens and noncitizens like with due process," Merkley said during questioning.
Ending: Rubio said he would provide additional detail in follow‑up to the committee; senators requested clear counts and legal explanations of the standards used for revocations under the statute.
