The US State Department has revoked more than 175,000 visas from foreign nationals since President Donald Trump returned to office, according to a fact sheet the department released on Monday. The department said the majority of revocations followed law-enforcement encounters involving criminal activity, along with visa violations, fraud, calls for violence, and other stated national security concerns.
US State Department Reports Over 175,000 Visa Revocations Under Trump Administration
The US State Department has revoked more than 175,000 visas from foreign nationals since President Donald Trump returned to office, according to a fact sheet the department released on Monday. The department said the majority of revocations followed law-enforcement encounters involving criminal activity, along with visa violations, fraud, calls for violence, and other stated national security concerns.
Among the offences cited as leading causes for cancellations were assault, driving under the influence, theft, and drug-related charges. Specific cases referenced in the department's statement included individuals facing charges of felony rape and sexual battery, kidnapping and human trafficking, and possession of child sexual abuse material.
A US embassy in North Africa revoked more than 100 visas from individuals the department described as 'birth tourist' parents who allegedly travelled to the United States primarily to give birth, so that their children would obtain US citizenship.
Some revocations, according to the department's statement, involved foreign nationals who had expressed approval online of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was killed the previous year. The statement cited two such individuals by the content of their posts.
The department said its continuous vetting operations are intended to ensure visa holders comply with the terms of their visas and do not endanger the public. It characterised a US visa as 'a privilege, not a right' and said it would continue using available authorities to revoke visas from those it considers to have abused that privilege.
In January, the department had reported revoking more than 100,000 visas, which it described at that time as a record. The administration has also tightened visa-granting procedures, including expanded social media vetting and additional screening measures.
Rights advocates and human rights experts have reportedly condemned the administration's social media screening practices, characterising them as a threat to free speech and as a form of surveillance targeting immigrants, according to the source article.
- The source does not establish the total timeframe over which the 175,000 revocations occurred beyond indicating it followed Trump's return to office
- The source does not identify the specific North African country where more than 100 birth-tourist visas were revoked
- The source does not provide a breakdown of revocations by visa category or nationality
- The source does not state how many of the revoked visa holders were subsequently deported or faced other legal consequences
- The source does not specify which rights organisations or human rights experts condemned the social media screening policy
- The source does not establish the legal standards or procedural steps required before a visa is revoked
- The source does not indicate whether any revocation decisions have been challenged or overturned in court
- The source does not clarify how 'continuous vetting operations' are conducted or what triggers a review
Read the original at Al Jazeera English