Compiled from reports by Hawaii Tribune-Herald and Al Jazeera. See the original articles linked below.
This article reports news and is not legal advice.
The US State Department said on Tuesday that the Trump administration has revoked more than 300,000 visas during the president's second term, according to Reuters, in a report carried by the Hawaii Tribune-Herald, and to Al Jazeera.
The figure and the pace
Reuters reported that spokesman Tommy Pigott announced the number on X and said the administration has revoked visas faster than any previous one. Reuters noted that an update on August 10 had put the total at more than 175,000. Al Jazeera wrote that the count stood above 100,000 in January.
Al Jazeera quoted a department statement saying the government will keep acting to keep the country's borders secure. It also reported Pigott saying the department has zero tolerance for foreigners on visas who break the law.
Reasons given
According to Al Jazeera, a State Department official said most revocations involved criminal activity, public safety concerns, immigration violations, fraud or misrepresentation, or a loss of eligibility. The official said more than 4,000 were tied to people who engaged in or facilitated birth tourism. Among revocations linked to criminal or public safety concerns, about 25 percent involved assault and related offences and 22 percent involved driving under the influence, the official said. Theft and substance abuse or distribution each accounted for about 7 percent.
Criticism
Reuters wrote that Trump has said his immigration crackdown and deportation efforts are meant to improve security at home. Rights advocates, however, argue that the campaign has violated due process and free speech rights and has created an unsafe environment, particularly for ethnic minorities who have raised concerns about racial profiling, Reuters reported.
Reuters said critics have singled out the revocation of visas held by pro-Palestinian foreign protesters, and of those held by foreigners over social media comments about the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. The agency added that advocates say national security grounds have been used against critics and that isolated fraud cases have been used to target immigrant communities broadly, citing the Somali American community in Minnesota as an example.
Wider policy changes
Both outlets described other tightening of visa policy. Reuters reported that social media screening of immigrants and visa applicants has been strengthened and that, although Trump campaigned on curbing illegal immigration, his administration has also made legal immigration harder, including through costly fees for certain work visas. Al Jazeera wrote that rights advocates say expanded vetting and screening threaten free speech and amount to surveillance of immigrants.
Sources
- Trump administration says it has revoked over 300,000 visas (Hawaii Tribune-Herald, 2026-10-21)
- Trump official claims record-breaking 300,000 visas were revoked (Al Jazeera, 2026-10-20)
This article was compiled with AI assistance from the reports listed above and reviewed by GMA before publishing.