U.S. Says It Revoked More Than 175,000 Visas Under Trump
Most visas were rescinded over criminal accusations, the State Department said, while some were revoked from people who had celebrated the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
The State Department said on Monday that under the Trump administration it had revoked more than 175,000 visas from foreign citizens whom it accused of committing crimes and endangering the safety of Americans.
Most of the visas were rescinded over a variety of criminal accusations, including drug offenses, driving under the influence, assault, sexual assault, child abuse and fraud, the department said in a news release. Some visas were revoked over what the State Department called attempts to abuse the immigration system. The statement did not specify the exact time period when the visas had been revoked.
The New York Times could not independently confirm the identities, nationalities or visa statuses of people who were affected. The State Department’s release did not include names or details of where people were when their visas were revoked.
Visas were also rescinded from people who had celebrated the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the State Department said, citing comments it said were made by visa holders, including that he had “died too late” and that “when fascists die, Democrats don’t complain.”
The Trump administration has been cracking down on visa holders, particularly those it has accused of celebrating violence against Mr. Kirk, a right-wing activist who was fatally shot in September, and other Americans.
The State Department said it was “committed to using every tool available to protect our communities” from people who it said abused visas.
Several people were set to be deported on foreign policy grounds, including Iranians connected to the country’s government, a Cuban with connections to an operation run by the country’s communist leadership and a Kuwaiti who called Americans his enemy, the State Department said.
Isabella Kwai is a Times reporter based in London, covering breaking news and other trends.