The U.S. State Department has revoked approximately 85,000 visas over the past year, an unprecedented figure that underscores the Trump administration’s expanded immigration enforcement strategy and stricter screening of foreign visitors and students.
Administration officials said the surge in revocations stems from public safety concerns, while immigrant-rights advocates warned that the broadened criteria risk penalising individuals whose infractions do not constitute real threats.
According to a senior State Department official, more than 8,000 of the revoked visas belonged to international students, more than double the number from the previous year.
While some revocations were linked to criminal allegations such as driving under the influence, assault, and theft, officials said the increased tally also reflects enhanced vetting procedures and a more aggressive posture toward perceived risks.
Officials’ Position
“These are individuals we believe pose a direct threat to community safety,” the official said, noting that the administration had instructed consular officers to adopt “a more expansive view of behaviours considered relevant to visa eligibility.”
The heightened scrutiny now spans multiple visa categories. In recent weeks, the administration directed consular officers to apply additional reviews for H-1B visa applicants, a programme widely used by technology firms and other employers to recruit skilled foreign workers.
According to internal guidance cited by U.S. media, officers have been told to deny visas to applicants believed to have engaged in efforts to suppress or block protected speech while in the United States, a standard immigration lawyers describe as vague and difficult to interpret.
Policy Context
The intensified visa enforcement is part of a broader series of new restrictions. Last week, the administration announced it would suspend immigration from 19 countries already under partial or full travel bans, citing persistent security concerns.
Additionally, the State Department unveiled a visa-restriction policy targeting individuals linked to anti-Christian attacks in Nigeria, part of what officials described as a wider initiative to combat religiously motivated violence abroad.
In a separate case, U.S. authorities confirmed the revocation of visas for six executives from a Mexican airline and their families, accusing them of collaborating with migrant-smuggling networks that facilitated the movement of minors through Central America using fraudulent travel documents.
Reactions and Implications
Supporters of the administration’s policy argue that the tougher measures are long overdue and necessary to strengthen national security and restore confidence in U.S. immigration vetting systems.
However, civil liberties groups and academic associations have criticised the sweeping visa cancellations, especially among students, saying they could deter legitimate travellers, disrupt educational programmes, and damage international academic partnerships.
State Department officials have indicated that the expanded reviews are permanent and ongoing, not one-time actions. For many foreign applicants, the message is clear:
The threshold for entering or remaining in the United States is now significantly higher and likely to continue rising.
