The United States has revoked more than 175,000 visas issued to foreign nationals under President Donald Trump’s administration, with authorities citing criminal offences, immigration violations and national security concerns .
The US Department of State disclosed this in a statement on Monday, saying the cancellations are part of a continuous-vetting programme through which authorities monitor visa holders to ensure compliance with immigration requirements .
According to the department, the majority of revocations followed “law enforcement encounters” involving visa holders accused of criminal activity. Assault, driving under the influence, theft and drug-related crimes were listed as the leading offences, while other cases involved reckless driving, sexual assault, child abuse, fraud and embezzlement.
Specific cases cited by the department included a foreign national charged with felony rape and sexual battery of a victim who was mentally disabled, another charged with kidnapping and human trafficking, and a person facing more than a dozen counts of possessing child sexual abuse material.
A US embassy in North Africa revoked more than 100 visas from parents accused of engaging in “birth tourism” by travelling to the US primarily to give birth and secure American citizenship for their children.
The department also said it had revoked the visas of multiple foreigners who “celebrated” the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, including one who posted that Kirk “died too late”.
The revocations reflect the broad immigration crackdown initiated since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025. The administration has also adopted stricter visa-granting policies, with tightened social media vetting and expanded screening.
In January, the department had revoked more than 100,000 visas, a record at the time. The current figure of 175,000 is more than four times the number of visas revoked during President Joe Biden’s final full year in office, when approximately 40,000 visas were cancelled.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has determined that several foreign nationals are deportable on foreign-policy grounds, including individuals allegedly linked to foreign governments or accused of threatening violence against the US president.
Defending the sweeping enforcement action, the State Department said: “A US visa is a privilege, not a right. The Department remains committed to using every tool available to protect our communities from those who abuse it”.
However, rights advocates and human rights experts have condemned the administration’s social media screening efforts, which they say threaten free speech and amount to surveillance and singling out of immigrants.
