US State Department revokes more than 250,000 visas in mass vetting crackdown
The US State Department says it has revoked more than 250,000 visas since Donald Trump took office, calling it a historic milestone in its immigration vetting crackdown.
The US State Department has revoked more than 250,000 visas since President Donald Trump took office, a State Department official told Fox News Digital on Wednesday.
The revocations covered a range of violations, including visa holders who broke the terms of their visas, committed crimes, called for violence against the US or Americans, defrauded Americans, abused the immigration system, or endangered national security. Among them were 2,300 visas revoked in connection with “birth tourism” — pregnant foreign nationals travelling to the US to give birth so their children automatically receive citizenship.
“Under President Trump and Secretary Rubio, the State Department has now revoked more than 250,000 visas — a historic milestone that reflects our unwavering commitment to protecting the American people,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said.
“Every visa decision is a national security decision. Through continuous vetting on a scale never seen before, we are identifying and removing those who commit crimes, support terrorism, defraud Americans, or abuse our immigration system,” Pigott added. “A U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right — and if you violate the terms of that privilege, you will lose it.”
The announcement came days after the department revoked the visas of 27 Latin American officials, former officials and their families on Monday over accusations of corruption. The officials were from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
In August, the State Department revoked more than 175,000 visas, the majority after law enforcement encounters over crimes including assault, driving under the influence, theft and drug offences, the agency said.
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