Could Free Speech Cost U.S. Citizens Your Passport? Yes! In New Bill Moving Through Congress

In New Bill, U.S. Citizens May Lose Passport for Criticizing The Country

A new bill moving through Congress has civil rights advocates sounding the alarm—and raising questions about how far the U.S. is willing to go in policing dissent.

The legislation, introduced by Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.), would give Secretary of State Marco Rubio sweeping authority to revoke or deny U.S. passports for anyone “determined” to have aided or abetted a foreign terrorist organization. What’s missing, critics say, is due process. The proposal does not require a criminal conviction or even a judicial review before action is taken. Anyone accused would have just 60 days to request a hearing.

Supporters frame it as a national security safeguard. But opponents argue the bill’s vague language leaves the door wide open for abuse—especially against activists or critics of U.S. foreign policy. To them, it looks less like protection and more like thought policing.

The concerns aren’t just hypothetical. Earlier this year, Rümeysa Öztürk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University, had her visa revoked after publishing a critical op-ed in her campus paper. Officials later admitted the decision had no real connection to terrorism.

“America is the greatest democracy in the world,” Öztürk said after her reinstatement. “I have faith in the American system of justice.”

Still, her case is now part of a larger conversation about the fragility of the First Amendment—and whether Americans could one day find their right to travel stripped away simply for the things they say.