The U.S. State Department has announced that it revoked over 100,000 visas, including thousands held by international students and skilled professionals, since President Donald Trump resumed office last year.
In a statement shared on X on Monday, the department announced: “The State Department has now revoked over 100,000 visas, including some 8,000 student visas and 2,500 specialised visas for individuals who had encounters with U.S. law enforcement for criminal activity.”
Officials stated that the move is part of broader efforts to enhance public safety and enforce immigration laws. Reinforcing its stance, the department added: “We will continue to deport these thugs to keep America safe.”
The volume of the revocations reflects the broad nature of the crackdown Trump initiated when he returned to the White House last year. The administration has claimed to have overseen more than 2.5 million voluntary departures and deportations, a “record-breaking achievement”, it said last month.
Some of those deportations, however, have included immigrants who held valid visas, raising questions about due process and human rights.
The administration has also adopted a stricter policy for granting visas, with tightened social media vetting and expanded screening.
“We will continue to deport these thugs to keep America safe,” the State Department said in its post on X.
The four leading causes for visa revocations were overstays, driving under the influence, assault, and theft, State Department deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott said. The revocations marked a 150 percent increase from 2024, he added.
The State Department has also launched a Continuous Vetting Center, aimed at ensuring “all foreign nationals on American soil comply with our laws – and that the visas of those who pose a threat to American citizens are swiftly revoked”, Pigott said.
That centre is part of an overall push to restrict who is allowed into the country. The State Department has ordered US diplomats in general to be vigilant against visa applicants whom Washington may see as hostile to the US or who have a history of political activism.
In November, the State Department said it had revoked about 80,000 non-immigrant visas since Trump’s inauguration, for offences ranging from driving under the influence to assault and theft.
