The US State Department announced in an official statement on Monday that it has revoked more than 100,000 visas since President Donald Trump's return to the White House for a second term. This measure is part of a hardening approach to immigration, with the department describing the number as a record-breaking and unprecedented figure for a single year, reflecting a radical shift in border and national security policies.
Record numbers compared to the Biden era
In detailing the announcement, State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott explained that these steps align with the new administration's vision, stating, "There is no higher priority for the Trump administration than protecting American citizens and safeguarding American sovereignty." Official data indicates that the number of visas revoked is two and a half times higher than the total number of visas revoked in 2024, when President Joe Biden was in office, highlighting the stark difference in how the two administrations handle immigration matters.
Reasons for visa cancellations: from crimes to political stances
The reasons behind the mass visa cancellations varied, with the State Department indicating that thousands of visas were revoked due to the holders' involvement in various crimes, including assault and driving under the influence of alcohol. However, the matter was not limited to criminal aspects alone, but extended to political and ideological dimensions.
In this context, Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed the revocation of visas for foreign students who participated in protests on American university campuses condemning the Israeli occupation and the war in Gaza. Rubio based his decisions on long-standing legal provisions that grant the United States the right to bar entry or residence to foreigners deemed opponents of US foreign policy, a policy that has sparked considerable legal controversy, with some of those targeted successfully challenging their deportation orders.
Targeting students and electronic auditing
The data revealed that approximately 8,000 of the revoked visas belonged to international students, a figure that is alarming to American academic circles, which rely heavily on international students. The Trump administration tightened vetting procedures for granting or renewing visas, including a thorough examination of applicants' social media posts, searching for any content that could be interpreted as hostile to the United States or its allies.
Broader context: A comprehensive deportation campaign
Visa revocations cannot be separated from the broader context of current immigration policy; these actions are part of a wider campaign of mass deportations. This campaign is being carried out by deploying federal forces in several American cities to apprehend those in violation of immigration laws. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the Trump administration deported more than 605,000 people last month, while approximately 2.5 million others left the country voluntarily out of fear of persecution.
Historical background and expected impact
This approach is reminiscent of Trump's policies during his first term (2017-2021), which saw controversial decisions such as the travel ban on citizens of several Muslim-majority countries. Observers note that the current expansion of visa cancellations could lead to diplomatic tensions with the affected countries, as well as a potential economic impact on the US higher education sector, which receives billions of dollars annually from international students, thus presenting American universities with new financial and regulatory challenges.
