The State Department announced Monday that more than 175,000 visas have been revoked since President Donald J. Trump returned to the White House, as his administration continues an aggressive crackdown on foreign nationals accused of crimes, fraud, visa violations and threats to public safety.
The department said the majority of the revocations resulted from encounters with law enforcement involving criminal activity. Officials cited offenses including assault, theft, drug crimes, reckless driving, sexual assault, child abuse and driving under the influence.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has made stricter enforcement of visa rules a major priority, with the administration stressing that permission to enter the United States is a privilege rather than an entitlement. Officials said foreign nationals who break American laws or violate the conditions of their visas should expect to lose their ability to remain in or return to the country.
The State Department highlighted several particularly serious cases involving people whose visas were revoked. Those included a foreign national charged with felony kidnapping, human trafficking and sexual exploitation of a minor, as well as another person arrested while allegedly driving with heroin and a blood alcohol level more than three times the legal limit.
Officials also pointed to financial crimes. One foreign national who lost a visa was accused of helping orchestrate a roughly $5 million Medicaid fraud scheme, demonstrating that the administration’s enforcement campaign extends beyond violent and drug-related offenses.
The crackdown has also targeted so-called birth tourism. More than 100 visas connected to a U.S. embassy in North Africa were revoked from individuals accused of traveling to the United States primarily to give birth so their children would obtain American citizenship.
The administration has additionally revoked visas over national security concerns, immigration fraud, visa violations and calls for violence against Americans. Some foreign nationals lost their visas after celebrating the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on social media.
The latest figure represents another major increase in visa enforcement during Trump’s second term. The administration announced earlier this year that it had already revoked more than 100,000 visas, meaning tens of thousands of additional cancellations have occurred as officials continue reviewing visa holders.
Trump has paired the visa crackdown with broader changes to the immigration system, including tougher vetting requirements and increased scrutiny of foreign nationals seeking permission to enter or remain in the United States. The administration has repeatedly argued that immigration authorities should prioritize the safety and interests of American citizens when determining who receives the privilege of entering the country.
With more than 175,000 visas now revoked, the State Department is signaling that the enforcement campaign is far from finished. Trump and Rubio are making clear that foreign nationals accused of criminal activity, fraud, abusing the visa system or threatening American national security face a substantially greater risk of having their visas canceled.
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