The U.S. State Department has canceled more than 250,000 visas since President Donald Trump returned to office, as his administration intensifies immigration enforcement and expands scrutiny of foreign nationals seeking entry into the country.
A State Department official told News Outlet that the cancellations involved a broad range of violations. They included breaking visa rules, criminal conduct, calls for violence against the United States or Americans, defrauding U.S. citizens, manipulating the immigration system and actions viewed as threats to national security.
The total includes roughly 2,300 visas revoked over allegations of birth tourism, in which pregnant foreign nationals travel to the United States with the specific intention of giving birth so their children receive U.S. citizenship.
The Trump administration has stepped up the cancellation of visas held by foreign nationals accused of criminal behavior or violations of their immigration status, the State Department said. (Harry Hamburg/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images; Aaron Schwartz / AFP via Getty Images)
“Under President Trump and Secretary Rubio, the State Department has now revoked more than 250,000 visas — a historic milestone that reflects our unwavering commitment to protecting the American people,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said.
“Every visa decision is a national security decision. Through continuous vetting on a scale never seen before, we are identifying and removing those who commit crimes, support terrorism, defraud Americans, or abuse our immigration system,” Pigott said. “A U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right — and if you violate the terms of that privilege, you will lose it. We will not stop until every foreign national who threatens the safety of our communities is held accountable.”
The department also announced Monday that it had revoked the visas of 27 current and former Latin American officials, along with members of their families, amid corruption allegations. Those affected are from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
Earlier this summer, the administration began laying the groundwork to cancel business and tourist visas held by as many as 200,000 foreign nationals who later filed asylum applications in the United States.
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The planned action would affect business and tourist visas held by as many as 200,000 people. (iStock)
The proposed review would focus on B1 and B2 visas issued from 2016 through 2026 to people who subsequently sought asylum. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said at the time that Americans were “fed up” with what he described as “bogus asylum claims.”
“Asylum isn’t supposed to be a loophole to circumvent immigration laws; rather, it’s supposed to provide a narrow safe harbor for persons persecuted because of their ‘race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion,’” Landau wrote on X.
Under Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the State Department has canceled thousands of visas over overstays, criminal violations and alleged support for terrorism. (Reuters)
Landau argued that baseless applications have overwhelmed the asylum system, creating backlogs that can leave cases pending for years before officials determine whether applicants qualify for protection in the United States.
The State Department said it revoked more than 175,000 visas in August alone. Most of those cancellations followed encounters with law enforcement involving various crimes, with assault, driving under the influence, theft and drug offenses among the most common reasons.
The agency also cited reckless driving, sexual assault, child abuse, fraud, embezzlement and other serious offenses as significant factors behind the visa revocations.
