Over 300,000 Visas Revoked During Trump’s Second Term
The United States has revoked more than 300,000 visas since President Donald Trump returned to power for his second term. Officials at the US State Department said the visas of foreign nationals had been revoked over alleged violations of the law, fraud and threats to national security. The number of visa revocations has risen rapidly in recent weeks.
Moira Namdar, the US assistant secretary of state for consular affairs, disclosed the information in a post on the social media platform X on Tuesday (October 20). “More than 300,000 visas revoked, and the number continues to rise. Our message to visa holders is clear: follow US laws or lose the privilege of travelling to the United States,” she wrote.
Ms. Namdar also said that, under the leadership of President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the safety and security of the United States and its people were being given the highest priority.
Ms. Namdar attached a White House post to her message. It stated that the Trump administration had revoked visas at a faster rate than any other administration in history.
US State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott also said in a separate post on X that visas were being revoked from foreign nationals involved in illegal activities, fraud or actions that posed a threat to national security. He said the United States would not tolerate any foreign national staying in the country on a visa who violated the law, committed fraud or attempted to undermine US national security.
Since Mr. Trump took office for his second term in January 2025, the United States has taken steps to tighten its immigration policies. As part of these measures, visa screening and immigration monitoring have been intensified. As of August 10, the State Department had reported that more than 175,000 visas had been revoked during Mr. Trump’s current term. According to the latest figures, the number of revocations has increased significantly since then.
However, published reports have not provided a complete breakdown of the types of visas revoked, the nationalities of those affected or the total figures by category. Meanwhile, rights activists have criticised the stricter immigration measures. They fear that, in some cases, visa revocation decisions could raise concerns about due process and freedom of expression.
Sources: Reuters and Al Jazeera
