Since taking office on January 20, the Trump administration has cancelled approximately 80,000 non-immigrant visas, citing criminal offences including DUI, assault, and theft, a senior State Department official confirmed Wednesday.
The scope of these visa cancellations underscores the administration’s aggressive approach to immigration enforcement. Since taking office, Trump’s team has implemented sweeping measures targeting both undocumented migrants and visa holders, resulting in deportations at levels not previously seen.
Officials say the crackdown is part of a broader effort to tighten security and ensure that individuals with criminal records or other disqualifying offences are barred from entering or remaining in the United States, even if they initially held valid visas.
In addition to revoking existing visas, the administration has introduced tougher standards for issuing new ones. Measures include enhanced background checks, more extensive vetting of social media activity, and broader screening procedures aimed at identifying potential security risks before entry is granted.
Breaking down the revocations, roughly 16,000 visas were cancelled due to driving under the influence, highlighting the administration’s focus on public safety offences. Assault-related convictions accounted for approximately 12,000 cancellations, while around 8,000 visas were revoked in connection with theft or property crimes. Officials emphasised that these measures target a wide range of criminal behaviour, reflecting a systematic effort to prevent individuals with potentially dangerous or unlawful histories from entering or remaining in the United States.
“These three crimes accounted for almost half of revocations this year,” said the senior State Department official, according to a source who requested anonymity, quoted by Reuters.
In August, a State Department spokesperson noted that over 6,000 student visas had been cancelled due to overstaying or violating U.S. laws, with a small portion revoked for what the official described as “support for terrorism.” This highlights the administration’s continued scrutiny of visa holders across different categories, extending beyond work and tourist visas to include students.
Last month, the State Department added that it had cancelled the visas of at least six individuals in response to social media posts regarding the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The move reflects heightened monitoring of online activity and signals the administration’s willingness to act against visa holders whose statements are deemed threatening or politically sensitive.
In May, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the administration had cancelled the visas of hundreds, possibly thousands, of individuals, including students, citing their participation in activities he described as contrary to U.S. foreign policy objectives. The announcement underscored the broader effort to align visa eligibility with national security and diplomatic priorities.
This year, the State Department issued directives instructing U.S. diplomats overseas to closely scrutinise visa applicants deemed potentially hostile to the United States, particularly those with a record of political activism. Officials say the guidance aims to prevent individuals who might pose security or policy risks from gaining entry.
READ: US revokes visas of six foreigners over Charlie Kirk’s assassination
Officials under the Trump administration have also indicated that even expressions of political opinion can have immigration consequences. Student visa and green card holders who voiced support for Palestinians or criticised Israel’s actions in Gaza have, in some cases, faced deportation proceedings. Authorities have argued that such statements could be interpreted as aligning with groups hostile to U.S. interests, labelling them a potential threat to American foreign policy.
The widening scope of visa cancellations and deportations signals a deeper shift in how the U.S. approaches immigration, one that increasingly blurs the line between security enforcement and freedom of expression. As the government expands its scrutiny to include not only criminal conduct but also online speech and political views, thousands of individuals living, studying, or working legally in the country find themselves vulnerable to sudden investigation.
Human rights advocates warn that such measures risk fostering an atmosphere of fear and self-censorship, where lawful residents may hesitate to voice dissenting opinions or engage in activism. For many, the promise of opportunity in America now comes shadowed by uncertainty, as the boundary between policy enforcement and personal belief continues to tighten.