The United States has revoked more than 300,000 visas since Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, the State Department announced on Tuesday. The figure marks a sharp acceleration in the administration's immigration enforcement drive — and officials say the pace is the fastest of any US administration in history.
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott disclosed the milestone in a post on X. The revocations targeted foreign nationals in the United States on visas who had broken the law, committed fraud or posed threats to national security — and the total has climbed fast: the department had confirmed about 250,000 only last month.
US revokes 300,000 visas: what the State Department announced
"With over 300,000 revocations, the Trump administration has revoked more visas at a faster pace than any administration in history," Pigott said. That "fastest ever" billing is the administration's own claim.
"Let the message be clear: we have zero tolerance for foreigners here on visas who break the law, commit fraud, or undermine our national security," Pigott added. "We are taking, and will continue to take, action to keep our borders, and our nation, secure."
A State Department official said the revocations were carried out as a consequence of criminal activity, threats to public safety or immigration violations such as fraud or misrepresentation. The nationalities of the people whose visas were revoked were not immediately disclosed.
The pace has accelerated sharply in 2026
The 300,000 figure is the latest step in a steady climb. In January, the department said it had revoked more than 100,000 visas — a record at the time. By August, the cumulative total had passed 175,000. Last month, officials confirmed as many as 250,000 revocations since January 2025. Tuesday's announcement adds roughly 50,000 more in about a month.
The pace picked up markedly this year. In 2025, the Bureau of Consular Affairs vetted just 23,000 cases, according to figures cited by the New York Post, which first reported the milestone. The 2026 surge reflects a deliberate shift toward continuous vetting of people already inside the country on visas.
That shift matters. The revocations aren't limited to new applications — the State Department has been reviewing people already living in the United States on visas and pulling their status over criminal conduct, fraud or security concerns.
Who lost their visas — and why
The department gave a partial breakdown of the 2025 revocations. About a quarter of the visas pulled last year were linked to assaults or related crimes. Driving under the influence accounted for another 22 percent, while theft made up 7 percent and substance abuse or distribution a further 7 percent.
Those four categories cover roughly six in ten of last year's cases. The department hasn't said how the rest break down, and it hasn't released a full list of nationalities affected.
At least 4,000 of the revoked visas belonged to foreign nationals accused of engaging in or facilitating "birth tourism" — travel to the United States so a child born there automatically receives US citizenship. The official did not provide further detail on those cases or explain how the birth-tourism determinations were made.
Stricter screening for new applicants too
The crackdown isn't limited to revoking existing visas. The administration has also tightened the rules for granting new ones, with expanded screening and mandatory social media vetting for applicants seeking entry to the country.
That part of the policy has drawn sharp criticism. Rights advocates have condemned the social media screening as a threat to free speech, a form of surveillance and unfair targeting of immigrant communities.
The administration, for its part, frames the entire effort as a security measure. Pigott said the department would keep targeting visa holders who break the law, commit fraud or pose national-security concerns.
Why it matters
Three hundred thousand revocations is a staggering number by any measure. The progression tells the story: 100,000 in January, more than 175,000 by August, about 250,000 last month, and now over 300,000. Whatever one thinks of the policy, the enforcement machinery is moving faster than it ever has — at least by the administration's own telling.
But the number also raises questions the department hasn't answered. Without the nationalities involved or a full breakdown of reasons, the scale and fairness of the sweep can't be independently assessed from what's been released. What is clear from the department's own account is that the policy reaches people already living in the United States on visas — a revocation can upend a job, a course of study or a family's plans without warning.
What happens next
Pigott said the department will keep taking action, so the total will keep climbing. Two things are worth watching: whether the State Department releases a nationality breakdown or a fuller accounting of the reasons behind the revocations, and whether the social-media vetting programme for new applicants faces legal or congressional pushback. For now, the 300,000 figure stands as the administration's headline number — and its claim of a record pace.
Key Takeaways
- The State Department says it has revoked more than 300,000 visas since January 2025, announced Tuesday, October 20.
- Spokesman Tommy Pigott called it the fastest pace of revocations by any US administration — the department's own claim.
- Officials cite criminal activity, public-safety threats and immigration violations such as fraud or misrepresentation.
- At least 4,000 revocations targeted alleged "birth tourism"; 2025 cases were led by assault (25%) and DUI (22%).
- The total jumped from about 250,000 last month and 175,000 in August; the department has not disclosed nationalities.
- New visa applicants face expanded screening and social media vetting, which rights groups have condemned.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many US visas has the Trump administration revoked?
More than 300,000 since January 2025, according to the State Department's announcement on October 20, 2026. The total stood at about 250,000 last month and had exceeded 175,000 in August, showing a sharp acceleration in recent months.
Why are the visas being revoked?
Criminal activity, public-safety threats or immigration violations such as fraud, according to a State Department official. In 2025, about 25% of cases involved assaults, 22% driving under the influence, 7% theft and 7% substance abuse or distribution.
What is "birth tourism" in the visa crackdown?
At least 4,000 revoked visas belonged to foreign nationals accused of engaging in or facilitating "birth tourism" — travelling to the US so a child born there automatically gains American citizenship. The department gave no further detail on how those cases were identified.
Who announced the 300,000 figure?
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott, in a post on X on Tuesday, October 20. He said: "We have zero tolerance for foreigners here on visas who break the law, commit fraud, or undermine our national security."
Is this really a record pace?
That is the administration's claim. The comparison can't be independently verified from the figures released so far.
Does the crackdown affect new visa applicants?
Yes. The administration has adopted stricter issuance policies, including expanded screening and mandatory social media vetting. Rights advocates say the vetting threatens free speech and amounts to surveillance of immigrant communities.
Which nationalities are affected?
The State Department hasn't said. Officials did not disclose the nationalities of the people whose visas were revoked when announcing the milestone.
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Sources
- Al Jazeera — "Trump official claims record-breaking 300,000 visas were revoked" (October 20, 2026): aljazeera.com
- New York Post — "Over 300K visas revoked so far in Trump's second term, State Department announces" (October 20, 2026): nypost.com
By GlobalDeskNews Staff | 20 October 2026