Civil liberties groups warn a bill granting Secretary of State Marco Rubio authority to revoke passports could be used to punish Americans for speech under vague “material support” rules.
A bill before Congress could grant Secretary of State Marco Rubio broad new powers to revoke or deny U.S. passports, raising alarms from civil liberties advocates who warn it amounts to “thought policing.”
Introduced by Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., the measure is framed as targeting “terrorists and traffickers.” But critics say vague definitions of “material support” risk punishing Americans solely for speech or political views.
“Rubio has claimed the power to designate people terrorist supporters based solely on what they think and say,” said Seth Stern of the Freedom of the Press Foundation, warning of “thought policing at the hands of one individual.”
The ACLU’s Kia Hamadanchy said the appeal process offered under the bill lacks clear standards. “Basically, you can go back to the secretary, who has already made this determination, and try to appeal. There’s no standard set. There’s nothing,” he said.