‘Will continue to deport these thugs’: Over 100,000 US visas revoked since Trump took office

The US State Department on Monday (Jan 12) announced that it has revoked more than 100,000 visas since President Donald Trump took office last year, setting a new record as his administration continues its crackdown against immigration. An unprecedented number of migrants, including some who held valid visas, have been deported by the Trump administration, which has adopted a stricter policy for granting visas with tightened social media vetting and expanded screening.

“The State Department has now revoked over 100,000 visas, including some 8,000 student visas and 2,500 specialised visas for individuals who had encounters with U.S. law enforcement for criminal activity,” the State Department said in a post on X, while posting a picture of Trump. “We will continue to deport these thugs to keep America safe.”

State Department deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott said that the four leading causes for the revocations were overstays, driving under the influence, assault and theft. He added that the revocations marked a 150 per cent increase from 2024.

Pigott added that the State Department has also launched a Continuous Vetting Center focused on ensuring “all foreign nationals on American soil comply with our laws — and that the visas of those who pose a threat to American citizens are swiftly revoked.”

The State Department said earlier in November that it had revoked around 80,000 non-immigrant visas for offences ranging from drunk driving to assault and theft since Trump took office on January 20 last year.

In December, the US authorities also started enhanced screening of H-1B and dependent H-4 visa applicants, including vetting social media profiles. Since then, several H-1B visa interviews have been postponed across India, leaving applicants who travelled for a visa stamping stranded for months.

Trump administration officials have said that student visa holders and legal permanent residents with “green cards” could also be deported if they show support for Palestinians and criticised Israel’s conduct in the Gaza war, calling their actions a threat to US foreign policy and accusing them of being pro-Hamas.