The U.S. Department of State has just announced that 80,000 visas have been revoked this year as part of the Trump administration’s expanded screening and national security measures.
In a post on X, the department said President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio “will always put the safety and interests of the American people first.”
Promises made, promises kept 👏@POTUS and @SecRubio will always put the safety and interests of the American people first. pic.twitter.com/Wy8G06WVkv
— Department of State (@StateDept) November 6, 2025
A follow-up post detailed the reasons for the revocations, including support for terrorism, “actual terrorism,” criminal activity, public safety threats, and overstays.
— Department of State (@StateDept) November 6, 2025
According to the department, 16,000 visas were revoked in 2025 for driving under the influence, 12,000 for assault, and 8,000 for theft.
The figures apply to nonimmigrant visas revoked since the start of the year.
— Department of State (@StateDept) November 6, 2025
The State Department did not provide additional specifics, but the administration has adopted a stricter posture on visa approvals and has moved quickly to cancel privileges for temporary residents whose conduct raised national security or public safety concerns.
“The Trump Administration will not hesitate to revoke visas from foreigners who undermine our laws or threaten our national security,” Tommy Pigott, the department’s principal deputy spokesperson, said in a Wednesday post on X.
The Trump Administration will not hesitate to revoke visas from foreigners who undermine our laws or threaten our national security.
We will always put the safety and interests of the American people first.https://t.co/5wLQlmd1C7
— Tommy Pigott (@StateDeputySpox) November 5, 2025
Revocations Tied to Responses to Extremist Activity Online
The administration also revoked the visas of foreign nationals who publicly celebrated the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.
In an October 14 post, the State Department said it had canceled visas for six foreigners, including a South African national who mocked Americans mourning Kirk’s death.
Others were from Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, and Paraguay.
“The United States has no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans,” the department wrote, adding that it “continues to identify visa holders who celebrated the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk.”
Sharp Decline in New Visas Issued
The Trump administration has also reduced the number of new visas issued.
The United States approved 897,937 nonimmigrant visas in May 2025, a drop of more than 16 percent from the 1,070,656 issued in May 2024 under the Biden administration.
Immigrant visas fell as well. 46,751 were issued in May 2025, down more than 20 percent from 58,778 the previous year.
Intensified Student Visa Scrutiny
In late May, the State Department instructed U.S. embassies to pause student visa interviews to strengthen vetting processes, particularly through expanded social media screening.
“We take very seriously the process of vetting who it is that comes into the country,” then-State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said.
The move followed March remarks by Secretary Rubio.
“Coming to the United States on a visa is a privilege, not a right,” Rubio said.
“The Trump Administration is determined to deny or revoke your visa if you’re here to support terrorists.”
Democrats have pushed back, saying the administration has unfairly targeted students.
New York state Sen. Patricia Fahy, a Democrat, called the revocations a “continued assault” on students’ free speech and said it “undermines the principles of American democracy.”
“We are deeply disturbed by the Trump administration’s revocation of student visas without justification or explanation,” she said on April 17.
New Requirements and China-Focused Actions
In June, the department announced mandatory social media screening for all student, vocational, and exchange visitor visa applicants.
Rubio also said the administration would begin revoking visas for students from China linked to the Chinese Communist Party.
U.S. officials have long warned that the CCP monitors and directs some Chinese students abroad.
The Department of Homeland Security proposed further changes in August, including fixed visa periods for certain nonimmigrant categories.
Broader Actions Against Foreign Censorship and H-1B Changes
The administration also imposed visa restrictions on foreign nationals engaged in censoring Americans and introduced new fees for employers hiring foreign workers.
The State Department said on May 28 that foreign officials have taken “flagrant censorship actions” against U.S. companies and citizens.
Employers must now pay a one-time $100,000 fee to hire a foreign worker under the H-1B program.
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