The US revoked over 100,000 visas in 2025 of foreign nationals charged with crimes and those who had encounters with US law enforcement for “criminal activity”, said the country’s State Department in a social media post on Monday.
These revoked visas included 8,000 student visas and 2,500 specialised visas besides business and tourist visas, the department said, vowing to continue to deport these “thugs” away.
“The State Department has now revoked over 100,000 visas, including some 8,000 student visas and 2,500 specialised visas for individuals who had encounters with US law enforcement for criminal activity,” the State Department said in its post.
“We will continue to deport these thugs to keep America safe,” it wrote.
State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson, Tommy Pigott, said visas were revoked of “thousands of foreign nationals charged or convicted with crimes, including assault, theft, and driving under the influence,” adding that that the administration would continue its “aggressive” enforcement posture through its new “continuous vetting centre”.
“The Trump administration will continue to put America first and protect our nation from foreign nationals who pose a risk to public safety or national security,” he said.
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According to a US TV channel’s report, the number of visas revoked in 2025 is more than double the 40,000 visas cancelled in 2024, the last year of former president Joe Biden’s administration.
“Among specialised workers, half of the revocations were based on drunken driving arrests, 30 per cent for assault, battery or confinement charges, and the remaining 20 per cent were revoked for theft, child abuse, substance abuse and distribution, and fraud and embezzlement charges,” it said.
The report said nearly 500 students had their visas revoked for possession and distribution of drugs while hundreds of foreign workers lost their visas because they were believed to be “abusing children”.
Last year, the Trump administration came down heavily on immigration, including professional immigration that it said was “stealing” jobs from Americans.
From December 15, the State Department also began enhanced screening of H-1B and dependent H-4 visa applicants, including checks of social media profiles. As a result, several H-1B visa interviews scheduled across India have since been postponed, leaving applicants stranded for months.
The department has repeatedly underscored that a US visa is a privilege, not a right, and said it uses all available information during screening and vetting to identify applicants who may pose a threat to national security or public safety.
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