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On September 11th, 2025, a Florida Congressman, Brian Mass, introduced House Representative Bill 5300, which will give the Secretary of State the authority to revoke United States passports from American citizens who have knowingly aided, abetted, assisted, or otherwise provided material support to Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). H.R. 5300 will empower the current Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, not only to revoke the passports of American citizens at his discretion, but it will also enable him to stop passports from being issued to citizens that he believes have aided FTOs in any way.
H.R. 5300’s creator, Brian Mass, and his supporters insist that the bill is meant as a counterterrorism measure aimed at stopping U.S. citizens from using their passports and travel documents if they are suspected of supporting FTOs.
Foreign Terrorist Organizations
Foreign Terrorist Organizations are designated as those that engage in terrorist activities that threaten the security of the United States and its citizens. The most notorious FTOs include cartels such as Cártel del Noreste, Cártel de Sinaloa, Tren de Aragua, Hamas, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hezbollah, and one that was recently added, Los Choneros.
Actions Considered As Providing Material Support
The House of Representatives has a broad definition of what is considered giving material support to FTOs. It includes providing tangible or intangible property to such groups, by doing any of the following activities:
- Donating money, goods, or property
- Supplying financial or fundraising services, or assisting with transfer of money
- Providing food, shelter, cars, transportation, or equipment
- Offering advice, training, or assistance of any kind
- Performing non-violent, humanitarian services
- Helping with recruitment or providing personnel
- Supplying real or false documents, or communication equipment
How H.R. 5300 Can Affect U.S. Citizens
Opponents of the bill are concerned that the new bill would give the Secretary the authority to revoke or deny the passports of U.S. citizens based on their views or political speeches, as opposed to any real terrorism actions on their part.
The bill’s opponents also believe that the language in the bill is too vague and could infringe on protected speech.
It could also be used to punish journalists and those in advocacy groups, if the Secretary of State labels them as FTOs, without allowing accused individuals due process.
Brian Mast, the Republican representative who introduced the bill, had recently pushed for the deportation of pro-Palestinian student activists, even if there was no proof that they supported Hamas. Marco Rubio had also used his position to revoke the visa of a student who spoke out against Israel.
What U.S. Citizens Can Do if Their U.S. Passport Is Revoked
U.S. citizens whose passports have been revoked under this bill will be able to seek a waiver from the Secretary of State, based on humanitarian or emergency circumstances.
According to the bill, individuals whose passports have been revoked or denied may also “request a hearing to appeal such denial or revocation not later than 60 days after receiving notice of such denial or revocation.” Despite that, an American Civil Liberties Union’s representative, Kia Hamadanchy, pointed out that no standards have been set for the appeals process.
If you are a U.S. citizen concerned about having your passport revoked or denied, or if you have questions regarding another immigration matter, contact U.S. Immigration Law Counsel for a strategy session to discuss your case.
