The US State Department announced that the number of visa cancellations has more than doubled as President Trump continues his crackdown on immigration.
The U.S. State Department said it has canceled more than 100,000 visas since President Donald Trump returned to office last year as his administration continues its tough crackdown on immigration.
The visa removals include 8,000 students and 2,500 professional employees, according to a State Department social media post on Monday.
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The report added that the majority had their visas revoked for “encounters with U.S. law enforcement for criminal activity,” but it was not clear whether those encounters led to charges.
The amount of revocations reflects the widespread nature of the crackdown that President Trump began when he returned to the White House last year. The administration claims to have overseen the voluntary departures and deportations of more than 2.5 million people, a “record-breaking accomplishment,” it announced last month.
However, these deportations included immigrants who held valid visas, raising questions about due process and human rights.
The administration also adopted stricter policies regarding visa issuance, including increased social media screening and expanded screening.
“We will continue to deport these violent criminals to keep America safe,” the State Department said in a post about X.
According to State Department Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Piggott, there were four main reasons for visa cancellation: overstaying, driving under the influence, assault and theft. He added that the number of cancellations has increased by 150 percent since 2024.
Piggott said the State Department has also launched a Continuing Review Center to ensure that “all foreign nationals in the United States comply with our laws and promptly revoke the visas of those who pose a threat to American citizens.”
The center is part of an overall effort to limit who is allowed into the country. The State Department has ordered all U.S. diplomats to be wary of visa applicants who the U.S. government may consider hostile to the United States or who have a history of political activity.
The State Department announced in November that it had revoked nearly 80,000 nonimmigrant visas for crimes ranging from drunk driving to assault and theft since President Trump took office.
Trump campaigned for re-election in 2024, pledging to oversee “the largest criminal deportation program in American history.” He was sworn in for a second term on January 20, 2025.
But critics argue that Trump’s broad approach targets criminals and non-criminals alike. The Trump administration has also come under intense scrutiny for appearing to target visa holders whose views they disagree with.
In March, for example, the Trump administration launched a campaign to revoke the visas of student protesters who took part in pro-Palestinian activities. Rumaysa Ozturk, a student at Tufts University, appears to have been targeted for writing an editorial for the campus newspaper.
In October, the State Department also announced it had revoked the visas of six foreign nationals who “celebrated” the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk online.
“The United States is under no obligation to host foreign nationals who wish to receive the death penalty against Americans,” the State Department said in a social media statement.
But these cases have raised concerns that the government is violating First Amendment rights to free speech.
There is also widespread anger in the United States over the Trump administration’s use of force in its crackdown on immigration.
Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was recently shot and killed in her car in Minneapolis, Minnesota, sparking increased immigration enforcement in the state and protests across the country.
