US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced new visa restrictions on Thursday targeting foreign nationals linked to far-left terrorist and aligned groups, as he hosted representatives from more than 60 countries at a State Department meeting focused on what the Trump administration described as a resurgence of political terrorism.
The policy targets foreign nationals accused of supporting, inciting, financing, recruiting for or otherwise enabling violent activity or economic sabotage linked to far-left extremist networks. Reuters reported that Rubio did not say whether any visa bans had already been issued under the policy.
The move was announced during a Washington ministerial where Rubio urged governments to refocus counterterrorism efforts on what he called “far-left terror.” He argued that left-wing political violence had long been overlooked, while critics warned that the administration risked politicising counterterrorism and blurring the line between violent extremism and lawful protest.
A 2025 study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies found that left-wing attacks and plots in the United States had risen from very low levels and, for the first time in more than 30 years, outnumbered far-right incidents in 2025. But the same report said left-wing violence remained far below historical levels of violence carried out by right-wing and jihadist attackers and was generally far less lethal.
The ministerial brought together delegations from Europe, Asia and the Western Hemisphere, with some countries represented by ambassadors or lower-level officials rather than foreign ministers. Rubio said the participating governments should improve information sharing, restrict terrorist travel and strengthen cross-border cooperation against violent extremist networks.
