State Department Revokes Over 250k Visas Amid Crackdown on Crime
The US State Department has revoked over 250,000 visas during President Trump's second term in office. This number is more than 75,000 additional visa revocations from August, when it was reported that 175,000 visas had been revoked.
The reasons for the revocation vary, but include foreign nationals who have called for violence against Americans, defrauded citizens, or committed crimes such as assault, theft, drugs, and reckless driving. The State Department also cited examples of specific crimes, including felony kidnapping, human trafficking, and sexual exploitation of a minor.
The majority of the revoked visas resulted from law enforcement encounters with foreign nationals for these crimes. Of the 250,000 visas revoked, 2,300 were in connection with birth tourism, which allows pregnant foreign nationals to travel to the US to give birth so their child automatically receives citizenship.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said that 'every visa decision is a national security decision' and that through continuous vetting, they are identifying and removing those who commit crimes or support terrorism. He added that 'a U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right, and if you violate the terms of that privilege, you will lose it.'