The Trump administration says it has revoked more than 300,000 visas held by foreign nationals, claiming the pace has outstripped every previous administration. The claim came in a social media post on Tuesday from a State Department spokesman.
According to the spokesman, the revocations targeted people in the United States on visas who had broken the law, committed fraud or threatened national security. Tommy Pigott, the State Department spokesman, wrote on X: “We have zero tolerance for foreigners here on visas who break the law, commit fraud, or undermine our national security.” He added that the administration would keep acting to secure US borders and protect national security.
Revocation totals have climbed steadily this year
Revocations had exceeded 175,000 by August. In January, the department said it had revoked more than 100,000 visas, a record at that time.
Stricter screening draws criticism from rights groups
The administration has also tightened its visa policy, expanding screening and increasing social media vetting. Rights advocates and human rights experts have condemned these screening efforts, arguing they threaten free speech and amount to surveillance and the singling out of immigrants.
