US says it has revoked more than 300,000 visas since Trump returned
- The US State Department says over 300,000 visas have been cancelled since January 2025, up from about 175,000 in August.
- Spokesman Tommy Pigott said the pace is the fastest in US history and cited zero tolerance for lawbreakers.
- Rights groups say the crackdown targets protesters, critics and ethnic minorities, not just criminals.
The United States has cancelled more than 300,000 visas since President Donald Trump began his second term in January 2025, the US State Department said on Tuesday.
The figure is well above the roughly 175,000 cancellations the department reported in an update on 10 August, and higher still than the 100,000 it announced in January. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said on X that no previous US administration had withdrawn visas at this speed.
Pigott said Washington would not tolerate foreigners admitted on visas who break US laws, commit fraud or threaten national security. A department official said most cancellations followed criminal cases, public safety worries, immigration breaches, fraud or false information, or signs that a holder no longer qualified to stay.
What the numbers show
According to the official, assault-related cases made up about 25 per cent of the revocations, while 22 per cent involved driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Theft and drug offences each accounted for about seven per cent.
More than 4,000 visas were cancelled over birth tourism, where foreign nationals travel to the US to give birth, the official said.
Beyond cancellations, the administration has tightened social media checks on applicants and raised fees for some work visas, steps that also affect people trying to migrate legally. Trump has said the wider crackdown, which includes deportations and stricter border controls, is needed to keep Americans safe.
The pushback
Rights advocates dispute that picture. They argue the measures weaken due process and free speech, and leave immigrants, especially ethnic minorities, feeling less safe.
They point to visas cancelled over participation in pro-Palestinian protests against Israel's military campaign in Gaza, and over social media posts about the killing of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. They also cite scrutiny of Somali communities in Minnesota, saying isolated fraud cases are being used to justify broad suspicion of whole groups.
The debate matters for Nigerians and other Africans who travel, study or work in the US, since a visa can now be withdrawn after it is issued, not only at the point of application.
What happens next: The State Department has not said when it will publish another update. Watch for legal challenges from rights groups and for any change in screening rules for applicants.
