The U.S. State Department has announced that since the beginning of President Donald Trump's second term in January 2025, his administration has revoked more than 300,000 visas. This move is part of the administration's intensified crackdown on immigration.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott confirmed the figure on Tuesday, October 20, on the social media platform X. He stated that the Trump administration has been revoking visas "at a faster rate than any other administration in U.S. history." This number represents a significant increase from the previous update in August, which reported that over 175,000 visas had been canceled.
According to Pigott, the primary goals of these actions are to bolster internal security and combat immigration violations. He emphasized that the U.S. government will have zero tolerance for foreign nationals with visas who commit legal offenses, fraud, or actions that threaten national security.
However, these hardline policies have drawn sharp criticism from human rights advocates. According to a Reuters report, critics argue that the scope of these policies extends beyond illegal immigration, affecting freedom of speech and the right to due process. They have also warned about a rise in racial discrimination and the targeting of ethnic minorities and immigrant communities.
Among the controversial cases are the visa revocations of some foreign pro-Palestinian protesters who had demonstrated against Israeli attacks on Gaza. Furthermore, reports indicate that visas of several foreign citizens were canceled due to their social media comments regarding the assassination of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk.
Critics contend that the current administration is using national security as a pretext to target its opponents and critics. They claim that isolated incidents of violations are being used to exert oad pressure on immigrant communities, such as the Somali community in the state of Minnesota.
During his 2024 election campaign, Trump emphasized curbing "illegal immigration," but his government has also imposed restrictions on "legal immigration." These measures include increasing fees for certain work visas and a complete ban on entry for citizens from approximately 30 countries.
Source: Reuters
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