Archive · 11 Aug 2026
US revoked over 175,000 visas under Trump administration
The United States is a country that lets people from other countries visit or live there with a special permission called a visa.
The State Department is the part of the US government that takes care of visas.
The State Department says that during President Donald Trump's time as president, it has taken away more than 175,000 visas.
Many people lost their visas after police caught them breaking the law, like fighting, drinking and driving, stealing, or using drugs.
Some people lost their visas for other crimes, like hurting children, cheating people out of money, or pretending to help sick people while taking millions of dollars.
Other people lost their visas for coming to America just to have a baby so the baby could become a US citizen.
A few people lost their visas for saying they were happy that a man named Charlie Kirk was killed.
The government says having a visa is a privilege, not a right, so the visa can be taken away when someone misuses it.
Some people who protect rights say the government's new checks on social media could be unfair and hurt free speech.
The US State Department revoked more than 175,000 visas from foreign nationals during President Donald Trump's administration.
Most revocations followed law enforcement encounters, with assault, driving under the influence, theft, and drug crimes the leading causes.
Cited cases include felony rape, kidnapping, human trafficking, possession of child sexual abuse material, and a Medicaid fraud scheme billing over $5 million.
A US embassy in North Africa revoked over 100 'birth tourist' visas, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio deemed several foreign nationals deportable on foreign policy grounds.
Rights advocates and human rights experts criticized the administration's tightened social media vetting as a threat to free speech.
- Who
- The US State Department under President Donald Trump's administration, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio issuing foreign-policy deportability determinations.
- What
- Revocation of more than 175,000 visas from foreign nationals who committed crimes, violated visa terms, defrauded Americans, abused the immigration system, or endangered national security.
- When
- Announced on Monday; revocations span President Trump's tenure, building on an earlier record of more than 100,000 visas revoked as of January.
- Where
- United States; a US embassy in North Africa also revoked over 100 visas in the birth-tourism cases.
- Why
- To ensure visa recipients abide by their visa terms and do not endanger Americans, addressing crime, fraud, immigration-system abuse, and national-security threats.
Rights advocates and human rights experts
Trump administration
Social media screening of visa applicants
Rights advocates and human rights experts
Rights advocates and human rights experts condemn the tightened social media vetting, saying it threatens free speech and is akin to surveillance that singles out and targets immigrants.
Trump administration
The administration defends continuous vetting and expanded screening as necessary to ensure visa recipients abide by their visa terms and do not endanger Americans.
Visas revoked over statements supporting violence
Rights advocates and human rights experts
Rights advocates and human rights experts have broadly condemned the administration's vetting and screening measures as threatening free speech and singling out immigrants.
Trump administration
The State Department revoked visas of foreign nationals who called for violence against US citizens or celebrated the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, citing public safety and foreign policy concerns.
- Total visas revoked
- More than 175,000
- Announcing agency
- US Department of State
- Leading causes
- Assault, driving under the influence, theft, and drug crimes
- Other cited causes
- Reckless driving, sexual assault, child abuse, fraud, and embezzlement
- Birth tourism revocations
- Over 100 visas at a US embassy in North Africa
- Foreign policy deportability
- Cuban, Iranian, Laotian, and Kuwaiti nationals per Secretary of State Marco Rubio
- Earlier record
- More than 100,000 visas revoked as of January
- New student visa rule
- F-1 'duration of status' replaced by fixed stays generally capped at four years; post-study grace period cut from 60 to 30 days
Sources
US cancels more than 175,000 visas — 5 major reasons behind revocations
Trump administration has revoked more than 175,000 visas, State Department says
US Revoked over 1.75 Lakh Visas During Trump's Tenure
US revoked over 1.75 lakh visas during Trump's tenure
