The United States (US) State Department has announced that more than 100,000 visas have been revoked since President Donald Trump returned to office last year.
According to a post on X on Monday, the revocations – a result of Trump administration’s hardline approach to immigration – include 8,000 student visas and 2,500 visas for specialised workers.
The department noted that most withdrawals were due to “encounters with US law enforcement for criminal activity”, though it did not clarify whether these encounters led to formal charges.
The scale of the revocations reflects the broad immigration crackdown initiated by Trump upon returning to the White House. The administration has reported overseeing more than 2.5 million voluntary departures and deportations, which it described last month as a “record-breaking achievement”.
Some of the deportations, however, involved immigrants who held valid visas, raising questions about due process and human rights.
The administration has also implemented stricter visa approval policies, including expanded screening and tighter social media vetting.
“We will continue to deport these thugs to keep America safe,” the State Department said in its post on X.
Tommy Pigott, deputy spokesperson for the State Department, said the four leading reasons for visa revocations were overstays, driving under the influence, assault and theft.
He added that the number of revocations represented a 150 percent increase as compared to 2024.
The department has also launched a Continuous Vetting Center, which, Pigott said, is intended to ensure that all foreign nationals on American soil comply with laws, and that the visas of those posing a threat to American citizens, are swiftly revoked.
The State Department has instructed diplomats to scrutinise visa applicants who may be considered hostile to the US or have a history of political activism.
Trump, who was sworn in for a second term on January 20, 2025, had campaigned in 2024 on a promise to oversee the “largest deportation programme of criminals in the history of America”.
In October, the State Department also announced it had revoked visas from six foreign nationals who allegedly “celebrated” the assassination of activist Charlie Kirk online.
“The United States has no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans,” the department stated in a social media post.
However, it sparked concern over potential violations of the First Amendment right to free speech.