US revokes over 250,000 visas under Trump administration; 2,300 linked to birth tourism

The US State Department has revoked over 2,50,000 visas since President Donald Trump assumed the White House position, deeming violations of visa conditions, criminal activity, fraud, abuse of the immigration system and national security concerns, according to a report by Fox News, which cited a State Department official.

The revocations encompass a variety of visa violations, and are ongoing in the department's efforts to vet foreign nationals with US visas. The State Department said it is using continuous vetting to identify visa holders whose conduct could make them ineligible to remain in the US.

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Of the more than 250,000 visas revoked, 2300 were linked to ‘birth tourism', under which foreign nationals travel to the US with the sole purpose of giving birth to secure US citizenship for their child.

State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the department had reached the milestone under Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

“Under President Trump and Secretary Rubio, the State Department has now revoked more than 250,000 visas – a historic milestone that reflects our unwavering commitment to protecting the American people,” Pigott said.

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He said the department's vetting was the process of finding individuals who commit crimes, support terrorim, defraud Americans or abuse the US immigration system.

The latest figure comes after the State Department revoked more than 175,000 visas in August. According to the department, most of those revocations followed law enforcement encounters involving criminal activity. Assault, driving under the influence, theft and drug-related offences were among the leading reasons. Other cases involved reckless driving, sexual assault, child abuse, fraud and embezzlement.

The State Department also revoked the visas of 27 Latin American officials, former officials and their family members over corruption allegations. The individuals were from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, Fox News reported.

Separately, the Trump administration has been preparing to revoke B1 and B2 business and tourist visas held by as many as 200,000 foreigners who later applied for asylum in the US. The proposed action applies to visas issued in the period 2016-2026.

The administration’s visa enforcement measures come as the State Department expands scrutiny of foreign nationals, including through continued checks after visas have been issued.