The United States State Department has confirmed that it has cancelled more than 250,000 visas since President Donald Trump took office. According to State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott, the effort reflects the administration's commitment to protecting American citizens. The revocations covered a wide range of violations, including criminal activity, national security concerns, birth tourism, and asylum system abuse.
The grounds for cancellation spanned criminal behaviour, incitement to violence against the United States or its citizens, fraud, national security threats, and various forms of immigration abuse. Approximately 2,300 of the revocations related to birth tourism, a practice in which foreign nationals travel to the US while pregnant in order to deliver on American soil and secure automatic citizenship for their child.
The largest single batch of cancellations occurred in August, when more than 175,000 visas were revoked in one sweep. The majority in that group were linked to law enforcement encounters, with assault, driving under the influence, theft, and drug offences identified as the primary causes. Other cases in that sweep involved reckless driving, sexual assault, fraud, and embezzlement.
On Monday, the State Department cancelled the visas of 27 current and former Latin American officials, along with members of their families, citing corruption. Those affected held ties to Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. This move is part of the Trump administration's effort to target individuals deemed a threat to the country or its immigration system.
The Trump administration moved over the summer to prepare for the cancellation of B1 and B2 visitor visas held by up to 200,000 foreigners who had entered the country as tourists but subsequently filed for asylum. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said Americans were "fed up" with what he termed "bogus asylum claims," arguing the asylum system was designed to handle genuine protection cases rather than function as a substitute route through immigration law.
The US has also taken steps to address Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders from various countries. Earlier, the United States has issued a warning to holders of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) from Ethiopia and 12 other countries. DHS General Counsel James Percival said Judge Brian Murphy had lifted the stay on Ethiopia's TPS termination, clearing the path for all outstanding TPS terminations to take effect simultaneously.
The US State Department's effort to revoke visas reflects the administration's commitment to protecting American citizens. According to Tommy Pigott, "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."
Key points
- The US State Department has revoked over 250,000 visas since President Donald Trump took office.
- The revocations covered a wide range of violations, including criminal activity, national security concerns, birth tourism, and asylum system abuse.
- The Trump administration has targeted individuals deemed a threat to the country or its immigration system, including Latin American officials and TPS holders.
