A senior State Department official said on November 5–6, 2025, that roughly 80,000 non‑immigrant visas have been revoked since January 20, citing offenses that include driving under the influence, assault and theft. The department also highlighted its enforcement push on social media, while a spokesperson emphasized that entry to the United States is a privilege, not a right.
The State Department has revoked about 80,000 non‑immigrant visas since Jan. 20, 2025, a senior official said this week, describing an enforcement surge that targets public‑safety and security risks. Reuters first detailed the total and the leading grounds for cancellations. (reuters.com)
According to the Washington Examiner, officials say this year’s revocations are more than double last year’s total under the Biden administration. Reuters confirmed the overall figure but did not independently quantify the year‑over‑year comparison. (washingtonexaminer.com)
Officials cited the following categories as major drivers of 2025 revocations:
- about 16,000 linked to driving under the influence;
- roughly 12,000 for assault; and
- about 8,000 for theft.
These three categories account for nearly half of the cancellations, the official said. (reuters.com)
In comments to the Washington Examiner, State Department principal deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the administration “will not hesitate to revoke visas from foreigners who undermine our laws or threaten our national security,” adding, “Entry to America is a privilege, not a right.” (washingtonexaminer.com)
The department also underscored the campaign on X, posting, “Promises made, promises kept,” while crediting President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for prioritizing public safety. (dailywire.com)
Student visas have been a particular focus. In August, the department said it had revoked more than 6,000 student visas, mostly for overstays and legal violations, with a small number tied to support for terrorism as defined under immigration law. (reuters.com)
Earlier in the year, on May 28, Secretary Rubio announced that the U.S. would “aggressively” revoke visas for some Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in “critical fields,” and would heighten scrutiny of future applications from China and Hong Kong. (npr.org)
The enforcement push has also reached online speech in a narrow set of cases. Following the September 10 assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a Utah Valley University event, the State Department revoked at least six visas over social‑media posts about his killing, identifying the nationals as Argentine, Brazilian, German, Mexican, Paraguayan, and South African. The department said it has “no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans.” (apnews.com)
The Daily Wire and other outlets published examples the department shared from those posts, including an Argentine user who said Kirk “devoted his entire life spreading racist, xenophobic, misogynistic rhetoric” and “deserves to burn in hell.” (dailywire.com)
Together, the measures reflect the administration’s emphasis on national‑security vetting and immigration enforcement, with officials pointing to public safety, visa‑eligibility rules, and statutory bars related to terrorism support as the bases for action. (reuters.com)
