The United States State Department announced that the federal government is on track to break previous records for visa cancellations, disclosing that more than 175,000 visas have been revoked since President Donald Trump assumed office. According to federal officials, these actions target foreign nationals who have violated visa terms, engaged in criminal activity, incited violence against American citizens, committed fraud, abused the immigration system, or posed risks to national security.
A State Department spokesperson informed the South China Morning Post that over 100,000 visas were annulled in 2025—marking an all-time annual high and noted that the 2026 figures are pacing well ahead of that milestone. While an exact cumulative tally for 2026 or a comprehensive breakdown by nationality and visa class was not released, the data indicates that at least 75,000 additional documents have been invalidated this year. The department emphasized that every cancellation is evaluated individually based on specific case facts, though broad references were made toward individuals from North Africa as well as deportable cases involving Iranian, Kuwaiti, Cuban, and Laotian nationals.
Criminal Enforcement and High-Profile Cases:
Government fact sheets indicate that law enforcement encounters involving criminal offenses formed the primary catalyst for the vast majority of revocations. Leading offenses include assault, driving under the influence, theft, and drug-related crimes, alongside notable shares of reckless driving, sexual assault, child abuse, embezzlement, and fraud.
Among the high-profile instances highlighted by authorities is the case of Tou Lue Vang, a 42-year-old Hmong resident from St. Paul, Minnesota. Vang was deported to Laos in July following the termination of his legal status by the administration, despite having received a pardon a month prior from the Minnesota Board of Pardons for a 2006 conviction related to the sexual assault of a minor. Earlier in January, the State Department reported that the 2025 totals included roughly 8,000 student visas and 2,500 specialty work permits revoked due to police encounters.
Criticism from Advocacy Groups:
Immigration advocates have sharply criticized the sweeping policy measures. Martin Kim, director of immigration advocacy at Advancing Justice/AAJC, argued that the strategy is deliberately structured to make living or arriving in the US unviable for immigrants.
Kim noted that the administration’s hostility extends to naturalized citizens and long-term residents. He pointed out that many affected individuals encountered the legal system in their youth but have since rehabilitated and integrated smoothly into local communities. According to Kim, the administration’s actions are driven less by genuine public safety concerns and more by outdated, exclusionary perspectives regarding national identity.
Crackdown on Birth Tourism and Executive Actions:
While specific visa categories were largely withheld, the State Department confirmed that over 100 tourist visas were cancelled by a North African embassy specifically targeting “birth tourism” instances where expectant mothers travel to the US primarily to secure American citizenship for their newborns.
This enforcement follows a series of executive orders signed by Trump designed to restrict the practice. These directives instruct federal agencies to enhance screening protocols, probe suspected birth-tourism networks, and pursue civil or criminal penalties against facilitators. Another executive order formally addresses a 6-3 Supreme Court ruling delivered on June 30, which upheld constitutional birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment for children born on US soil to temporary or unlawful residents. Although initial efforts focused on undocumented families, political rhetoric surrounding the court’s decision increasingly spotlighted birth tourism and allegations involving Chinese nationals.
Despite intense administrative focus, empirical data regarding birth tourism remains sparse. Research from Penn State University estimates that births linked to foreign-born mothers with permanent residences abroad accounted for less than 0.3 percent of all annual US births between 2014 and 2024.
Broader Restrictions on Legal Immigration:
The visa revocations form only one component of a broader administration-wide campaign targeting both legal and illegal immigration. Other notable measures implemented since Trump’s return to office include proposed wage threshold increases, stricter student and exchange visa regulations, and a mandated US$100,000 fee for new H-1B specialty occupation visas though the latter fee was struck down by a federal judge in June, with an appeals court subsequently denying the administration’s request for a stay.
