More than 175,000 foreign nationals issued visas under President Donald Trump have had their visas revoked for allegedly violating visa conditions, committing crimes, or posing security risks.
In a statement on Monday, the US Department of State (DoS) explained that most revocations stemmed from law enforcement encounters involving criminal acts, with assault, driving under the influence, theft, and drug offenses being the main drivers.
It added that visas were also revoked over “reckless driving, sexual assault, child abuse, fraud, embezzlement and other crimes”.
The government stated that the revocations were executed through continuous screening procedures designed to ensure visa holders comply with entry terms and pose no danger to the American public.
According to the statement, several individuals faced revocation over severe allegations, including “felony rape and sexual battery, kidnapping, human trafficking, sexual exploitation of minors, child sexual abuse offences and domestic violence”.
The Department of State added that a US diplomatic mission in North Africa canceled more than 100 visas held by parents linked to birth tourism—the practice of visiting the US primarily to secure citizenship for newborns.
Other cases involved individuals accused of fraud and financial crimes, including a foreign national arrested for driving under the influence of heroin while registering a blood alcohol concentration more than three times the legal limit.
The department also noted incidents involving foreign citizens who allegedly celebrated the assassination of Charlie Kirk, including those making statements that appeared to endorse or honor his death.
Additionally, the government indicated that Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined several foreign nationals were subject to deportation on foreign policy grounds.
Backstory…
The latest development comes amid a broader tightening of U.S. immigration and visa enforcement under President Donald Trump, with Washington introducing stricter screening, monitoring and enforcement measures for foreign nationals.
In recent months, the administration has expanded social media vetting for visa applicants, strengthened immigration screening procedures and increased scrutiny of people already holding U.S. visas. The State Department has also reported a sharp rise in visa revocations, with overstays, criminal activity, fraud and other immigration violations among the reasons cited.
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