Washingtin DC: The US State Department has revoked more than 250,000 visas since President Donald Trump took office, citing criminal activity, violations of visa conditions, immigration fraud and national security concerns, according to a report.
A State Department official told Fox News Digital that the visa cancellations involved a range of violations, including crimes committed by visa holders, calls for violence against Americans or the United States, fraud, abuse of the immigration system and activities deemed a threat to national security.
Among the revoked visas were about 2,300 linked to so-called birth tourism, in which pregnant foreign nationals travel to the United States with the intention of giving birth so their children obtain US citizenship under current law.
“Under President Trump and Secretary Rubio, the State Department has now revoked more than 250,000 visas — a historic milestone that reflects our unwavering commitment to protecting the American people,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott told Fox News.
“Every visa decision is a national security decision,” Pigott said, adding that the department was carrying out expanded vetting to identify foreign nationals who commit crimes, support terrorism, defraud Americans or violate U.S. immigration laws.
The department has also taken action against foreign officials. On Monday, it revoked the visas of 27 current or former Latin American officials and their family members over allegations of corruption. The individuals were from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
The Trump administration has separately been preparing to revoke business and tourist visas held by as many as 200,000 foreign nationals who later applied for asylum in the United States, Fox News reported.
The proposed action would affect B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 to individuals who subsequently filed asylum claims.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau previously defended the effort, saying Americans were “fed up” with what he described as “bogus asylum claims.”
“Asylum isn’t supposed to be a loophole to circumvent immigration laws,” Landau wrote on X, arguing that asylum is intended as protection for people facing persecution based on specific grounds under US law.
The administration has intensified visa scrutiny as part of Trump’s broader immigration enforcement agenda.
In August, the State Department revoked more than 175,000 visas, with the majority reportedly tied to law enforcement encounters involving criminal activity.
According to the department, leading reasons included assault, driving under the influence, theft and drug-related offenses. Other revocations involved allegations of reckless driving, sexual assault, child abuse, fraud and embezzlement.
The State Department has maintained that a US visa is a privilege rather than a right and that violations of its terms can result in revocation.
