Zbigniew Ziobro, a former Polish Justice Minister who is wanted in Poland for alleged corruption and misuse of public funds, has been granted a visa to the United States. The visa was personally approved by President Donald Trump. Ziobro’s arrival in the US has sparked a major debate, with critics saying the Trump administration is ignoring the rule of law by letting a wanted fugitive into the country.
Ziobro, 61, has been on the run since 2025, when he fled to Hungary after former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán granted him asylum. But with a new government in power in Hungary, he lost that protection. He is wanted in Poland for allegedly misusing public funds and using Pegasus spyware against political opponents. Ziobro has denied all the charges, calling the investigation a political attack by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
In an interview with right-wing Polish broadcaster TV Republika, Ziobro confirmed he had arrived in the US, praising the country’s values, reports Politico. “The United States is freedom,” he said. “Freedom you can actually fight for.” He also accused Tusk of interfering in his case and said he would fight any extradition attempt in a US court.
Trump’s visa approval for Ziobro puts the US at odds with its own diplomatic officials in Poland
According to Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza, Trump personally approved Ziobro’s visa despite objections from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the US ambassador in Warsaw, Tom Rose. The decision has caused outrage in Poland, with Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek announcing that his ministry would begin extradition proceedings against Ziobro.
The Polish foreign ministry also confirmed that Ziobro’s Polish passport had been revoked, and that he had traveled to the US on an asylum-related document issued by Hungary. This means Ziobro entered the US without a valid Polish passport, using paperwork tied to his time as a refugee in Hungary.
The move raises serious questions about the Trump administration’s decision-making, as it chose to overrule its own Secretary of State and its ambassador in a key allied country. It is unusual for a president to personally step in on a visa decision, especially one that goes against the advice of senior diplomatic officials.
Poland is a NATO ally, and the decision to grant entry to a man wanted by the Polish government for serious crimes could strain relations between the two countries, reports Newsweek. The Polish government has made it clear it expects the US to cooperate with its legal proceedings, not block them by giving safe haven to a fugitive.
The Trump administration has also faced pushback on other fronts, including backlash over an AI image of Trump’s grave that stirred a heated response from the White House. Ziobro has long been a controversial figure in Polish politics.
As Justice Minister, he was a key ally of the former ruling party, Law and Justice, and was in charge of sweeping judicial changes that drew criticism from the European Union. His alleged use of Pegasus spyware to monitor political opponents was one of the most serious accusations made against him. The Trump administration has been making several notable changes to US travel documents, and Americans are still waiting for answers on new passport changes.
Published: May 11, 2026 12:30 pm