US visa revocations surpass 300,000 under Trump

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US President Donald Trump’s administration has revoked more than 300,000 visas during his second term, the State Department said on Tuesday, as it intensifies its immigration crackdown, reports Reuters.

The figure marked an acceleration in visa revocations in recent weeks. In an update issued on August 10, the department said more than 175,000 visas had been revoked since Trump began his second term in January 2025.

Trump has said his immigration crackdown and deportation drive aim to improve domestic security. Rights advocates say the measures have undermined due process and free speech, created an unsafe environment and raised concerns about racial profiling, particularly among ethnic minorities.

Announcing the latest figure on X, State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said the administration “has revoked more visas at a faster pace than any administration in history”.

The administration had “zero tolerance for foreigners here on visas who break the law, commit fraud, or undermine our national security”, Pigott said.

Rights advocates have particularly criticised visa revocations involving foreign pro-Palestinian protesters who demonstrated against Israel’s attacks on Gaza, as well as foreign nationals over social media comments about the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.

Alongside efforts to deport foreign protesters, the administration has tightened social media screening for immigrants and visa applicants.

Rights advocates accuse the government of invoking national security to target critics and using isolated fraud cases to justify broader measures against immigrant communities, including Somali Americans in Minnesota.

Although Trump campaigned in 2024 on a pledge to curb illegal immigration, his administration has also made legal immigration more difficult, including by imposing expensive fees for certain work visas.