US revoked over 100,000 visas in 2025 amid immigration crackdown

The United States has revoked more than 100,000 visas so far in 2025, including around 8,000 student visas, as part of an intensified immigration crackdown under the Trump administration, according to the US State Department.

In a social media post on Monday, the department said the revocations were aimed at individuals with criminal records or encounters with law enforcement. “We will continue to deport these thugs to keep America safe,” the post said, underscoring the administration’s hardline stance.

State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said that in less than a year, over 100,000 visas had been cancelled, affecting thousands of foreign nationals charged with or convicted of offences such as assault, theft and driving under the influence. The figure marks a sharp escalation from 2024, when about 40,000 visas were revoked in the final year of former president Joe Biden’s administration, according to a Fox News report.

While the majority of cancellations in 2025 involved business and tourist visas linked to overstays, the report said 8,000 students and 2,500 holders of specialised visas lost their status due to criminal encounters.

Among specialised workers, around half of the revocations were related to drunk-driving arrests, 30 per cent to assault or confinement charges, and the remaining cases to offences including theft, child abuse, drug-related crimes, fraud and embezzlement.

The report added that nearly 500 students had their visas revoked for drug possession or distribution, while hundreds of foreign workers were stripped of their visas over allegations of child abuse.

Pigott said the administration would maintain its “aggressive” enforcement approach through a new “continuous vetting centre”, stressing that national security and public safety remained paramount. “The Trump administration will continue to put America first,” he said.

The broader crackdown has extended to both illegal and legal immigration, with tighter scrutiny for those seeking to enter the US for work or study. From 15 December, the State Department introduced enhanced screening for H-1B and dependent H-4 visa applicants, including reviews of social media activity.

As a result, several H-1B visa interviews scheduled across India have been postponed, leaving many applicants who travelled for visa stamping stranded for months.

US officials have repeatedly emphasised that a visa is a privilege, not a right, and that all available information is used during screening and vetting to identify applicants who may pose risks to public safety or national security.

With IANS inputs