US revokes 100,000 migrant visas as state department cites safety and policy enforcement under Trump era tightening of migrant entry rules

The United States Department of State reported that the Trump administration under President Donald J. Trump has US revokes 100,000 migrant visas, marking the highest annual total of visa revocations on record, the State Department said on Monday.

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State Department spokesman Thomas “Tommy” Pigott said that the administration’s foremost priority remained protecting American citizens and upholding national sovereignty.

The figure of over 100,000 revoked visas since Mr Trump’s inauguration for a second term on 20 January 2025 is more than two and a half times the number of revocations in 2024 under former President Joe Biden.

The department said that “thousands” of the revoked visas were related to criminal convictions, a category that includes offences such as assault and drunk driving.

Officials noted that the scale of revocations reflected tighter scrutiny of visa holders and applicants.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio highlighted that the administration had used existing law from the McCarthy era to block entry to foreigners perceived as acting against United States foreign policy goals.

Mr Rubio said that this included action against some student protesters critical of Israel, although several high-profile cases have been successfully challenged in court.

The State Department confirmed that approximately 8,000 of the visas revoked were held by students, a significant number in the wider clampdown.

Officials also pointed to enhanced vetting procedures that now include reviews of social media activity for prospective and current visa holders.

The visa revocations form part of a broader and assertive migration policy drive by the Trump administration.

The Department of Homeland Security last month announced that more than 605,000 individuals had been deported, with an estimated 2.5 million others departing voluntarily amid intensified enforcement.

Critics of the policy have described the measures as punitive and harmful to diplomatic and educational ties, while proponents have praised the administration for decisive action on border control.