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The State Department has announced new visa restrictions targeting those who work on behalf of US adversaries to undermine American interests.

Getting into it: The announcement came on Thursday when the State Department said it was significantly expanding an existing visa restriction policy that originally launched in September and was narrowly focused on Central American nationals collaborating with the Chinese Communist Party. The expanded version covers anyone across the entire Western Hemisphere who knowingly directs, funds, or provides significant support to activities that undermine US interests (including enabling adversaries to acquire key assets or strategic resources, destabilizing regional security, undermining American economic interests, or conducting influence operations against nations in the region).

The department said 26 people have already had their visas pulled under the new rule, though it didn’t name any of them or say what each one allegedly did. Immediate family members of those targeted are also barred from entering the US.

In a statement, the State Department said they were committed to denying “adversarial powers the ability to own or control vital assets or threaten the security and prosperity of the United States in our region.”

The language is deliberately vague and never names China, Russia, or Iran directly. Critics have raised concerns about due process, noting the broad definitions leave wide room for interpretation on who qualifies. Some have also pointed to the administration’s use of similar authority to go after pro-Palestine student protesters and Colombian President Gustavo Petro (who had his visa stripped after a UN speech critical of US policy in Gaza).