US revokes 300,000 visas as Trump ramps up immigration crackdown

The administration of US President Donald Trump has revoked more than 300,000 visas since he began his second term in January 2025, the State Department said on Tuesday, as the government intensifies its immigration crackdown.

The latest figure marks a sharp increase in the pace of visa cancellations in recent weeks. In an update issued on August 10, the department said more than 175,000 visas had been revoked since Trump returned to office.

State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott announced the latest figures on X, claiming the administration had “revoked more visas at a faster pace than any administration in history”.

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

Trump has repeatedly defended his immigration crackdown and deportation drive, arguing that the measures are intended to improve domestic security.

However, civil rights advocates have criticised the administration’s approach, alleging that its policies have undermined due process and free speech protections while creating an increasingly hostile environment for ethnic minorities. Concerns have also been raised about racial profiling.

Among the administration’s most controversial visa revocations are cases involving foreign nationals who participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations against Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Rights groups have also criticised action against foreign nationals over social media comments about the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.

The administration has expanded social media screening for immigrants and visa applicants alongside efforts to deport foreign protesters.

Advocates argue that the government has invoked national security concerns to target critics and used individual fraud cases to justify broader scrutiny of immigrant communities, including Somali Americans in Minnesota.

Although Trump campaigned in 2024 on a promise to curb illegal immigration, his administration has also introduced measures that make legal immigration more difficult. These include higher fees for certain work visas.

The visa revocations form part of the administration’s broader effort to tighten immigration enforcement, a policy that has drawn support from those prioritising border security as well as criticism from groups concerned about civil liberties and the treatment of migrants.

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