On August 10, 2026, the United States Department of State announced that 175,000 visas of foreign nationals have been revoked since President Trump’s return to office in January 2025.
The State Department claims the reason for these revocations is that the individuals either “violated the terms of their visas, committed crimes, called for violence against U.S. citizens, defrauded Americans, abused our immigration system, or endangered national security.” According to the announcement, a majority of these visa revocations stem from “law enforcement encounters” involving alleged criminal activity.
This announcement has alarmed many immigration attorneys, who worry that the Trump administration is cancelling and revoking visas based on minor encounters, or improperly pursuing charges through the judicial process.
What Reasons Did the State Department Give for Visa Revocations?
In the announcement, the State Department said that they “revoked visas from criminals who posed a danger to American citizens, endorsed violence against Americans, arranged illegal birth tourism schemes, or engaged in fraud.”
They continue to outline specific reasons for visa revocation, providing examples of conduct that can lead to cancellation. A large percentage of the revocations were for foreign nationals accused of criminal activity, including:
- Assault
- Driving under the influence
- Theft
- Drug crimes
- Reckless driving
- Sexual assault
- Child abuse
- Fraud
- Embezzlement
- And other crimes
The State Department also revoked the visas of foreign nationals who celebrated the death of right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk. Following Kirk’s death in September 2025, the department announced it would revoke the visas of individuals who mocked his death online. It later confirmed that visas of six individuals were revoked over comments they posted on social media regarding his death.
Other reasons cited in the announcement include the ability to deport foreign nationals on “foreign policy grounds,” including Iranian nationals allegedly found to have connections to the Iranian regime. The announcement also addressed “birth tourism,” noting that more than 100 visas were revoked at a U.S. embassy in North Africa from parents who allegedly traveled to the United States to give birth so their children would obtain U.S. citizenship.
While not listed in the State Department’s announcement, international students on college campuses have also been targeted. Thousands of students’ visas were revoked following Trump’s return to office, alongside intensified social media screenings and new limitations on how long students can remain in the country.
How Does Trump’s Immigration Crackdown Differ from Previous Administrations?
The Trump administration’s immigration crackdown efforts have been more extensive than the Biden administration’s, particularly in its use of visa revocations. In 2024, the final year of the Biden administration, the State Department revoked approximately 40,000 visas. In comparison, the Trump administration revoked about 100,000 visas in 2025, more than twice the number revoked in 2024.
In 2026, an estimated average of 10,000 visas are revoked each month, notably higher than in 2025, which averaged approximately 8,000 visa revocations per month.
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