Trump administration revokes more than 175,000 US visas

The US State Department has revoked more than 175,000 visas held by foreign nationals under President Donald Trump’s administration, as Washington intensifies its immigration enforcement and screening policies.

The department said on Monday (August 10) that the visas had been withdrawn from people accused of breaching visa conditions, committing crimes, defrauding Americans, calling for violence against US citizens, abusing the immigration system or endangering national security.

Criminal cases among leading reasons

Most of the revocations followed encounters with law-enforcement authorities, according to the State Department. Assault, driving under the influence, theft and drug-related offences were among the most common reasons given.

The department cited several individual cases, including a person charged with felony rape and sexual battery, another facing kidnapping and human-trafficking charges, and a person accused of more than a dozen counts involving child sexual abuse material. The allegations described by the department were charges rather than convictions.

A US embassy in North Africa also revoked more than 100 visas from parents accused of engaging in “birth tourism”, or travelling to the United States primarily to give birth so their children would obtain US citizenship.

The State Department also said it had cancelled the visas of several foreign nationals who publicly celebrated the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. One of those individuals had posted that Kirk had died too late, the department said.

Total rises sharply from January record

The latest figure represents a substantial increase from January, when the department announced that more than 100,000 visas had been revoked under the Trump administration, which it described at the time as a record.

The rise to more than 175,000 reflects the broader immigration crackdown introduced since Trump returned to the White House last year. The administration has deported an unprecedented number of migrants, including some who held valid visas, while also adopting stricter rules for new visa applications.

The measures include expanded background checks and closer examination of applicants’ social media activity. The administration has presented the tougher screening as necessary to enforce immigration law and protect national security.

Visa holders can lose their permission to travel to the United States when authorities determine that they no longer meet the conditions under which the visa was issued. Revocation can also follow criminal allegations, security concerns or information discovered through additional screening.

Social media screening draws criticism

Rights advocates and human-rights experts have criticised the administration’s increased use of social media vetting.

They argue that examining online comments and political expression when making immigration decisions could discourage free speech. Critics have also compared the policy with surveillance and accused the government of unfairly singling out immigrants.

The State Department, however, has continued to defend the expanded enforcement programme, saying the revocations targeted foreign nationals who violated US laws, misused the immigration system or presented risks to the country.

The latest total indicates that visa cancellation has become a central part of the Trump administration’s wider immigration policy, alongside deportations, tougher application screening and increased scrutiny of foreign nationals already granted permission to travel to the United States.

Source: Reuters