The State Department announced Thursday that it has revoked the visas of more than 80,000 foreign nationals this year, citing offenses ranging from drunk driving to direct support for terrorism. The move, officials said, underscores the Trump administration’s renewed emphasis on national security and immigration integrity.
According to the department, the pace of visa revocations under President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio has more than doubled compared with the previous year. “Promises made, promises kept,” the department wrote on X, adding that the administration “will always put the safety and interests of the American people first.”
The revocations span a wide array of offenses. Roughly 16,000 visas were rescinded for driving under the influence, 12,000 for assault, and 8,000 for theft. Others were stripped for overstaying their visas, providing material support for terrorism, or being identified as “actual terrorists.”
State Department principal deputy spokesman Tommy Pigott told the outlet that the administration “will not hesitate to revoke visas from foreigners who undermine our laws or threaten our national security.” He added, “Our message is clear: Entry to America is a privilege, not a right, and we will always put the safety and interests of the American people first.”
The administration’s efforts have also extended to targeting foreign nationals who have publicly expressed hostility toward Americans. In September, the State Department revoked the visas of several individuals from Argentina, South Africa, Mexico, Brazil, and Paraguay after they made celebratory or approving comments about the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.
“The United States has no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans,” a State Department official said at the time. “The State Department continues to identify visa holders who celebrated the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk.”
One of those expelled, an Argentine national, had written online that Kirk “devoted his entire life spreading racist, xenophobic, misogynistic rhetoric” and deserved to “burn in hell.” Officials cited such remarks as examples of conduct that makes individuals ineligible for continued entry into the United States.
The department’s increased enforcement comes amid a broader effort by President Trump and Secretary Rubio to tighten vetting standards and reinforce America’s sovereign right to determine who may enter the country. In May, Trump directed Rubio to begin aggressively revoking the visas of Chinese students with ties to the Chinese Communist Party or who were studying in “critical fields” linked to national security. Rubio said the department would increase scrutiny of future visa applications from both China and Hong Kong.
The initiative marks one of the most far-reaching visa enforcement campaigns in recent history, reflecting the administration’s view that immigration policy should prioritize security over diplomacy.
“The safety of the American people is not negotiable,” one senior State Department official said. “Every foreign national granted entry into the United States must respect our laws, our values, and our people. Those who don’t will lose the privilege of being here.”
The move has drawn praise from supporters who view it as a long-overdue assertion of national sovereignty — and a sign that the administration intends to enforce immigration laws with renewed vigor.
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