Trump's Second Administration Sees Visa Revocations Top 300,000... Amid Anti-Immigration Policy Fallout

Nearly 50,000 more in less than a month
Concerns grow over tighter rules, including social media screening

Reuters-Yonhap News

The number of visas revoked since the start of President Donald Trump's second administration in January last year has exceeded 300,000, according to data compiled to date. As the Trump administration steps up its anti-immigration policies, concerns are growing that visa application and entry-screening rules will become even stricter.

On the 20th (local time), the U.S. State Department said the cumulative number of visas revoked since the start of Trump's second administration had exceeded 300,000 as of that day. The total has continued to rise, surpassing 175,000 on August 10 and 250,000 on September 30.

The U.S. State Department said most visas were revoked because of criminal activity or threats to public safety. By type of offense, assault-related crimes accounted for the largest share at 25%, followed by driving under the influence (22%), theft (7%), and drug use and trafficking (7%). The department also said that more than 4,000 visas had been revoked in connection with birth tourism. Since August, U.S. authorities have formed a task force dedicated to preventing birth tourism and have stepped up enforcement. However, the nationalities of those whose visas were revoked for birth tourism have not been disclosed.

International human rights organizations have voiced opposition after reports that some people whose visas were revoked included foreign nationals who participated in pro-Palestinian protests or posted supportive comments on social media. According to Reuters, there have been cases in which the visas of foreign nationals who took part in pro-Palestinian protests against Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip were revoked. There have also been cases in which visas were revoked over social media comments related to the assassination of Charlie Kirk, a U.S. conservative commentator.

As the Trump administration steps up its anti-immigration policies, concerns have been raised that new restrictions, such as social media vetting during entry screening, will be formally tightened. According to Fox News, U.S. authorities are also reportedly preparing a plan to revoke the visas of up to 200,000 people who applied for asylum after receiving tourist or business visas between 2016 and 2026.

State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said on X, the social media platform, that the Trump administration had "revoked more visas at a faster pace than any administration in history," stressing that it has "zero tolerance for foreign visa holders who break the law, commit fraud, or harm national security."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.