Trump revokes over 300,000 visas, the fastest pace of any administration
Editorial illustration — Press Pass USAThe Trump administration has revoked more than 300,000 U.S. visas since the president began his second term in January 2025, the State Department announced on October 20 — "more visas at a faster pace than any administration in history," according to spokesman Tommy Pigott.
A State Department official said the revocations targeted foreigners whose conduct involved criminal activity, threats to public safety, or immigration violations such as fraud or misrepresentation. At least 4,000 visas were pulled from foreign nationals who engaged in or facilitated "birth tourism," the official said.
The department's breakdown of 2025 revocations shows assault and related crimes accounted for roughly a quarter of the total, while driving under the influence made up another 22%; theft and substance abuse or distribution each represented about 7%. The 300,000 figure marks a sharp jump from the 250,000 revocations confirmed as recently as last month, and from 175,000 in August.
Rights advocates say the crackdown has violated due process and free speech rights, pointing to revocations targeting pro-Palestinian foreign protesters and foreigners over social media comments. The administration has also tightened social media screening of immigrants and visa applicants. The nationalities of those affected were not disclosed.
Sources: Reuters (Oct 20, 2026); NY Post (Oct 20, 2026).
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