The United States has revoked over 175,000 visas issued during the Trump administration, according to a State Department statement released Monday, with officials citing violations of visa terms, criminal activity, and national security concerns as the driving factors behind the mass cancellation.
According to the department, the majority of revocations stemmed from law enforcement encounters tied to criminal conduct, with assault, driving under the influence, theft, and drug-related offences ranking among the most common causes. Additional cases involved reckless driving, sexual assault, child abuse, fraud, and embezzlement. The department framed the action as part of its continuous-vetting programme, an ongoing effort designed to ensure visa holders remain in compliance with immigration rules and don’t pose a threat to public safety.
Some of the individuals affected face considerably more serious allegations. Officials said certain cases involved charges of felony rape and sexual battery, kidnapping, human trafficking, sexual exploitation of minors, child sexual abuse offences, and domestic violence.
The scope of the revocations extended beyond individual criminal cases. A US embassy in North Africa alone cancelled more than 100 visas issued to parents accused of engaging in “birth tourism,” traveling to the US specifically so their children could obtain American citizenship through birthright provisions. Other cited cases included a foreign national arrested for allegedly driving with heroin in his possession while more than three times over the legal blood alcohol limit, along with several individuals accused of financial crimes. In one instance, a foreign national who claimed to run a legitimate healthcare-access business allegedly helped orchestrate a Medicaid fraud scheme involving more than $5 million in fraudulent billing. In a separate case, another individual was accused of fabricating company revenue figures and forging investor letters in order to secure a US visa fraudulently.
The department also pointed to a more politically charged category of cases, referencing foreign nationals who allegedly celebrated the assassination of Charlie Kirk, including individuals accused of making statements that appeared to endorse or praise his death.
Beyond the criminal-conduct cases, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has separately determined that several foreign nationals are deportable on foreign-policy grounds. Those cases include a Cuban national allegedly connected to a Cuban communist regime influence operation, Iranian nationals said to have ties to the Iranian government, a Laotian child sex offender who had been pardoned by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, and a Kuwaiti national accused of expressing intent toward violence against the US president while referring to Americans as his “enemy.”
The State Department indicated the revocation effort is ongoing, saying it would continue identifying, investigating, and cancelling visas belonging to foreign nationals it considers threats to public safety. “A U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right,” the department said, adding that it intends to use every available measure to protect American communities from individuals who abuse the immigration system.
