In a bold move, the administration of the U.S. President Donald Trump has revoked around 80,000 non-immigrant visas since taking office on January 20, Reuters reported. The revocations were made for various offenses, including driving under the influence, assault, and theft, as well as violations of immigration and foreign policy rules.
Out of the total cancellations, around 16,000 visas were revoked for driving under the influence, 12,000 for assault, and 8,000 for theft. These three offenses accounted for nearly half of all visa revocations this year, the official said. The official also noted that the administration has introduced stricter vetting procedures, including expanded social media checks and deeper background screening for new visa applicants.
In addition to these actions, the State Department said it had revoked more than 6,000 student visas in August for overstaying, breaking U.S. laws, or engaging in activities that violated visa conditions. Some of these cases reportedly involved individuals accused of showing support for terrorism.
Recently, the department also confirmed that it revoked the visas of at least six people who had made online comments about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Reuters reported.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who took office earlier this year, said in May that hundreds, possibly thousands, of visas had been revoked for reasons related to U.S. foreign policy concerns. He stated that individuals found supporting causes viewed as hostile to American interests could lose their visas.
The Trump administration has also instructed U.S. diplomats to closely monitor visa applicants for potential anti-American sentiments or political activism. Officials have emphasised that students and green card holders could face deportation if found supporting Palestinians or criticising Israel’s military actions in Gaza. Such actions, the administration argues, could be considered a threat to U.S. foreign policy.
US Earlier Revoked 6,000 Student Visas
In August 2025, the U.S. State Department had revoked over 6,000 visas issued to international students for violating U.S. laws or overstaying their permitted stay.
Officials said most of these violations involved crimes such as assault, driving under the influence (DUI), and burglary. A small number of cases were also linked to “support for terrorism.”
The move was a part of the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to tighten immigration rules and increase scrutiny of foreign students studying in the United States.
According to the State Department, around 4,000 visas were cancelled because students were found guilty of breaking U.S. laws. In addition, between 200 and 300 visas were revoked under the Immigration and Nationality Act’s Section 3B, which defines “terrorist activity” as acts that threaten human life or violate American law.
Officials said the revocations were made to protect national security and ensure that visa holders follow U.S. laws and regulations.
