Trump administration has revoked 80,000 nonimmigrant visas, US official says

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump’s administration has revoked about 80,000 nonimmigrant visas since it began on Jan. 20 for offenses ranging from drunk driving to assault and theft, a senior State Department official said Wednesday.

The scale of the recall, first reported by the Washington Examiner, reflects a broad immigration crackdown that began when Trump took office, deporting an unprecedented number of immigrants, including some with valid visas.

The administration has also adopted a stricter visa policy, with tighter control of social media and expanded vetting.

About 16,000 of the visa revocations involved drink-driving, while about 12,000 involved assault and another 8,000 for theft.

“These three crimes accounted for nearly half of the recalls this year,” said the senior State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

In August, a State Department spokesman said Washington had revoked more than 6,000 student visas for overstaying and breaking the law, including a small number for “supporting terrorism.”

The ministry also said last month it had revoked the visas of at least six people over comments on social media about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in May that he had revoked the visas of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people, including students, for engaging in activities that he said ran counter to US foreign policy priorities.

Directives from the State Department this year ordered US diplomats abroad to be vigilant against any applicants Washington might consider hostile to the United States and with a history of political activism.

Trump administration officials have said the student visa and green card holders are subject to deportation because of their support for the Palestinians and criticism of Israel’s conduct in the Gaza war, calling their actions a threat to US foreign policy and accusing them of being pro-Hamas.