The State Department announced on Tuesday that visa revocations since January 2025 have climbed to over 175,000, a steep rise from the 75,000 recorded in the first half of the term.
Tommy Pigott, the department’s spokesperson, stressed the administration’s "zero tolerance" stance toward visa holders who break law, commit fraud, or threaten national security, noting the pace of revocations is unprecedented.
Rights groups argue the crackdown violates due process, targeting ethnic minorities and citing cases of pro-Palestinian protesters and social media critics, with the Somali American community in Minnesota highlighted as an example of broad targeting.
Concurrently, the administration has tightened social media screening of visa applicants and raised fees for certain work visas, complicating legal immigration and intensifying legal challenges from civil‑rights groups.