Washington, Aug 2026 : The US State Department has revoked more than 175,000 visas issued to foreign nationals over criminal activity, immigration violations, fraud, threats to national security and calls for violence against Americans, highlighting the Trump administration’s intensified scrutiny of visa holders.
According to a fact sheet released by the State Department on Monday, the sweeping action was carried out as part of the department’s continuous vetting programme under President Donald Trump. The programme is aimed at ensuring that foreign nationals holding US visas continue to comply with the conditions of their admission and do not pose a threat to American communities.
The department said most visa revocations followed encounters with law enforcement agencies. Among the leading grounds for cancellation were assault, driving under the influence, theft and drug-related offences. Authorities also revoked visas in cases involving reckless driving, sexual assault, child abuse, fraud, embezzlement and other serious crimes.
The State Department cited several cases involving foreign nationals facing serious criminal allegations. These included an individual charged with felony rape and sexual battery, including an alleged assault involving a mentally disabled victim. Another foreign national was charged with felony kidnapping, human trafficking and sexual exploitation of a minor. A separate visa holder faced charges of child sodomy and aggravated sexual battery.
The department also highlighted a case involving a foreign national charged with more than a dozen counts of possessing child sexual abuse material. In another case, a teacher was arrested over allegations of sexually assaulting a young student.
Drug- and alcohol-related offences also featured prominently among the cases cited by the department. One foreign national was arrested after allegedly driving with heroin in their possession and recording a blood alcohol level more than three times the legal limit.
The visa crackdown also targeted what the State Department described as abuse of the US immigration system. A US embassy in North Africa revoked more than 100 visas issued to parents accused of engaging in birth tourism. According to the department, the individuals had travelled to the United States primarily to give birth so that their children could obtain US citizenship. The fact sheet did not disclose the name of the embassy, the country involved or the nationalities of those affected.
Financial fraud was another major category cited by the department. One foreign national was accused of helping orchestrate a Medicaid fraud scheme involving more than $5 million in allegedly false claims for services that were never provided. In another case, an individual allegedly fabricated company revenue, forged documents and misled investors to obtain millions of dollars from clients before using the fraudulent claims to secure a US visa.
The department also said visas had been revoked from several foreign nationals who allegedly celebrated the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. It cited social media comments in which one individual said, “when fascists die, democrats don’t complain,” while another remarked that Kirk “died too late.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has separately determined that several foreign nationals are deportable on foreign policy grounds, according to the fact sheet. Those cited include a Cuban national allegedly linked to a Cuban government influence operation, Iranian nationals with connections to Tehran and a Laotian child sex offender who had been pardoned by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
The department also identified a Kuwaiti national who allegedly expressed a desire for violence against the US President and referred to Americans as his “enemy.”
The State Department said the visa revocation campaign would continue as part of the administration’s broader effort to strengthen immigration enforcement and protect public safety.
“Under President Trump and Secretary Rubio’s leadership, the State Department will continue to identify, investigate, and revoke the visas of foreign nationals who threaten the safety of the American people,” the department said.
It stressed that a US visa is a privilege rather than a right, adding that authorities would use every available tool to protect American communities from individuals who abuse the immigration system.
A US visa generally permits a foreign national to travel to a US port of entry and request admission. However, holding a visa does not guarantee entry into the country. The final decision on whether a traveller is admitted rests with US immigration authorities at the port of entry.
(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
