Trump administration officials are urging British citizens who have been victims of free speech violations to seek asylum in the United States.
Sarah Rogers, the Trump administration’s undersecretary for public diplomacy, has been leading efforts to push back against the decline in Western civil liberties, particularly in parts of Western Europe. Rogers noted in an interview with The Telegraph that she has been specifically keeping an eye on British politics.
“I always make time for the Brits,” Rogers said. In the past, she has criticized European censorship and has criticized British officials on social media over issues including the grooming gangs scandal in the UK. She warned that shared values between the United States and the United Kingdom, such as the rule of law and free expression, have become strained.
When Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced visa sanctions last December against high-profile Europeans accused of censoring American speech, Rogers said, “If you spend your career fomenting censorship of American speech, you’re unwelcome on American soil.”
Rogers also pointed to the cases of Lucy Connolly and Graham Lineham. Connolly was jailed over an inflammatory social media post following the Southport attack in which several girls were killed in a knife attack. Linehan was detained at Heathrow Airport over gender-critical comments.
“His arrest shocked a lot of Americans,” Rogers said, referring to Linehan, before suggesting that Brits prosecuted for speech-related offenses should consider refuge in the US.
“Anyone persecuted by their government for peacefully expressing their views, including British citizens, may present themselves at a US embassy or consulate to seek information about applying for refugee protection. The United States takes free expression seriously, and this administration considers violations of that fundamental right a priority to address.”
Sarah Rogers, the Trump administration’s undersecretary for public diplomacy, has been leading efforts to push back against the decline in Western civil liberties, particularly in parts of Western Europe. Rogers noted in an interview with The Telegraph that she has been specifically keeping an eye on British politics.
“I always make time for the Brits,” Rogers said. In the past, she has criticized European censorship and has criticized British officials on social media over issues including the grooming gangs scandal in the UK. She warned that shared values between the United States and the United Kingdom, such as the rule of law and free expression, have become strained.
When Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced visa sanctions last December against high-profile Europeans accused of censoring American speech, Rogers said, “If you spend your career fomenting censorship of American speech, you’re unwelcome on American soil.”
Rogers also pointed to the cases of Lucy Connolly and Graham Lineham. Connolly was jailed over an inflammatory social media post following the Southport attack in which several girls were killed in a knife attack. Linehan was detained at Heathrow Airport over gender-critical comments.
“His arrest shocked a lot of Americans,” Rogers said, referring to Linehan, before suggesting that Brits prosecuted for speech-related offenses should consider refuge in the US.
“Anyone persecuted by their government for peacefully expressing their views, including British citizens, may present themselves at a US embassy or consulate to seek information about applying for refugee protection. The United States takes free expression seriously, and this administration considers violations of that fundamental right a priority to address.”
