THE US has revoked more than 100,000 visas in 2025, including around 8,000 student visas, as part of its efforts to enforce immigration rules, citing criminal activity.
In a post on social media on Monday (12), the State Department said: “We will continue to deport these thugs to keep America safe.”
The department said it had revoked more than 100,000 visas, including about 8,000 student visas and 2,500 specialised visas issued to individuals who had encounters with US law enforcement linked to criminal activity.
State Department principal deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott said that in less than one year, the Trump administration had cancelled more than 100,000 visas.
“That includes revoked visas from thousands of foreign nationals charged or convicted with crimes, including assault, theft and driving under the influence,” he said.
According to a Fox News report, the number of visas revoked in 2025 is more than double the 40,000 cancelled in 2024, the final year of former president Joe Biden’s administration.
The report said most revocations in 2025 involved business and tourist travellers who overstayed their visas. It added that 8,000 students and 2,500 people on specialised visas lost their permits following criminal encounters with law enforcement.
Among specialised workers, around half of the revocations were linked to drink-driving arrests. About 30 per cent were related to assault, battery or confinement charges, while the remaining cases involved theft, child abuse, substance offences, fraud and embezzlement, the report said.
It also said nearly 500 students had their visas cancelled for drug possession or distribution, while hundreds of foreign workers lost their visas over alleged child abuse.
Pigott said the administration would continue enforcement through a new “continuous vetting centre”. He said the government would “put America first and protect our nation from foreign nationals who pose a risk to public safety or national security”.
The Trump administration has tightened immigration rules for both legal and illegal entry, including for those seeking to work or study in the US.
From December 15, the State Department began enhanced screening of H-1B and H-4 visa applicants, including checks of social media profiles. Several H-1B visa interviews scheduled in India have since been postponed, leaving many applicants who travelled for visa stamping stranded for months.
The State Department has said a US visa is a privilege, not a right, and that all available information is used during screening to assess risks to national security or public safety.
(PTI)
