The US State Department announced on September 30, 2026, that it has revoked more than 250,000 visas since President Donald Trump took office — a sweeping figure officials framed as the centerpiece of an aggressive new era of US visa revocations under Trump driven by what the department calls continuous vetting of foreign nationals.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott described the total as “a historic milestone that reflects our unwavering commitment to protecting the American people,” according to a report by the New York Post, which cited Fox News Digital and State Department figures. The milestone is the latest headline number in a vetting campaign that has already produced record revocation totals earlier this year.
Why the visas were revoked
According to the State Department, the revoked visas cover a wide range of violations. The categories cited include visa-condition violations, criminal activity, fraud, abuse of the immigration system, calls for violence against the United States, and national-security concerns, Business Today reported.
Pigott said the department is now using “continuous vetting on a scale never seen before” to identify criminals, terror supporters, and fraudsters, adding: “A U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right,” Fox 49, a Fox affiliate, reported.
The 250,000 figure follows another record disclosed earlier: in August 2026 alone, the department revoked more than 175,000 visas, the majority linked to law-enforcement encounters involving criminal activity. According to Times Now, the leading causes in that month were assault, driving under the influence, theft, and drug crimes, along with reckless driving, sexual assault, child abuse, fraud, and embezzlement.
Birth tourism, asylum applicants, and foreign officials targeted
The revocations have also touched several narrower categories. Around 2,300 of the 250,000-plus visas were revoked in connection with “birth tourism” — trips by pregnant foreign nationals to the United States so that their child gains US citizenship, the Economic Times reported.
Over the summer, the administration also began preparing to revoke business and tourist visas held by as many as 200,000 foreigners who had applied for asylum in the US — B1/B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 to people who later sought asylum, according to Fox 49.
Separately, on September 28, the State Department revoked the visas of 27 Latin American officials, former officials, and their family members from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru over corruption accusations, the New York Post reported.
Part of a broader immigration enforcement push
The visa crackdown is unfolding alongside an aggressive expansion of immigration enforcement across federal agencies. In the same week, the US Supreme Court agreed to hear a challenge to the Trump administration’s policy of mandatory detention without bond hearings for immigrants facing deportation proceedings — a case that could affect potentially millions of people.
Taken together, the two developments illustrate the administration’s two-pronged approach: tightening who is allowed to enter or remain in the country legally, while defending broader detention powers in court. Immigration advocates have warned that the revocation drive sweeps up long-term residents with old or minor offenses, though the State Department maintains the effort is squarely aimed at criminals and national-security threats.
Supporters praise the numbers; critics see overreach
Administration officials and their allies have portrayed the 250,000 US visa revocations under Trump as proof that the vetting system is finally working as intended. Hardline immigration advocates argue that prior administrations allowed visas to remain valid even after holders accumulated criminal records, and that continuous review simply closes a longstanding enforcement gap.
Critics, including civil-liberties organizations and some immigration attorneys, counter that the sheer scale of the drive raises due-process questions. Visa holders typically receive notice when a visa is revoked, but the practical effect can be swift: a revoked visa can trigger detention or removal proceedings, and travelers may learn of the revocation only when attempting to enter the country. Advocates also note that categories like birth tourism and decades-old B1/B2 visas issued to later asylum seekers capture conduct that was lawful when it occurred, raising fairness concerns even among those who support criminal-based enforcement.
What happens next
State Department officials have signaled the pace of revocations will continue. With “continuous vetting” now standard practice, visa holders remain subject to review long after their visas are issued — a departure from the traditional assumption that a visa, once granted, was rarely revisited absent new information.
Analysts say the policy could have ripple effects on tourism, student mobility, and diplomatic relations, particularly with countries whose nationals account for large shares of the revocations. The department has not published a country-by-country breakdown of the 250,000 figure.
FAQ
How many US visas has the Trump administration revoked?
The State Department said on September 30, 2026, that it has revoked more than 250,000 visas since President Trump took office. That includes a record 175,000-plus revocations in August 2026 alone, according to Times Now.
What are the main reasons US visas are being revoked?
According to the State Department, reasons include criminal activity, fraud, visa-condition violations, abuse of the immigration system, calls for violence against the US, and national-security concerns. Leading criminal causes cited were assault, DUI, theft, and drug crimes.
Does continuous visa vetting apply to existing visa holders?
Yes. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the department is using “continuous vetting on a scale never seen before,” meaning visas remain subject to review after they are issued. “A U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right,” he said.
What is “birth tourism” and how many visas were revoked over it?
Birth tourism refers to trips by pregnant foreign nationals to the US so their child gains US citizenship. About 2,300 of the revoked visas were connected to birth tourism, according to the Economic Times.
Sources: New York Post, Fox 49, Times Now, Business Today, Economic Times
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