NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
EXCLUSIVE: The State Department has revoked more than 250,000 visas since President Donald Trump took office, as the administration continues to crack down on unlawful immigration and increase vetting of who is allowed to visit the United States.
The revocations were for a variety of violations, including visa holders who violated the terms of their visas, committed crimes, called for violence against the U.S. or Americans, defrauded Americans, abused the immigration system, and endangered national security, a State Department official told Fox News Digital.
Among the visas revoked were 2,300 in connection with birth tourism, the practice of pregnant foreign nationals traveling to the U.S. specifically to give birth so their child automatically receives citizenship.
BIRTH TOURISM SCAMS DRAW SWEEPING CRACKDOWN AS VISA REVOCATIONS CLIMB
The Trump administration has been aggressive about revoking visas of foreign nationals, yanking thousands of visas of those who have committed a range of offenses and violated the terms of their stay in the United States, the State Department said. (Harry Hamburg/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images; Aaron Schwartz / AFP via Getty Images)
“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,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said.
“Every visa decision is a national security decision. Through continuous vetting on a scale never seen before, we are identifying and removing those who commit crimes, support terrorism, defraud Americans, or abuse our immigration system,” Pigott added. “A U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right — and if you violate the terms of that privilege, you will lose it. We will not stop until every foreign national who threatens the safety of our communities is held accountable.”
On Monday, the State Department revoked the visas of 27 Latin American officials, former officials, and their families over accusations of corruption. The officials are from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
Over the summer, the Trump administration began preparing to revoke business and tourist visas held by as many as 200,000 foreigners who have applied for asylum in the U.S.
DHS’ TOP LAWYER THREATENS PENALTIES FOR ATTORNEYS CLOGGING ASYLUM SYSTEM
Over the summer, the Trump administration began preparing to revoke business and tourist visas held by as many as 200,000 people. (iStock)
The effort would target B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 to foreigners who later sought asylum. At the time, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said Americans were “fed up” with “bogus asylum claims.”
“Asylum isn’t supposed to be a loophole to circumvent immigration laws; rather, it’s supposed to provide a narrow safe harbor for persons persecuted because of their ‘race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion,’” he wrote on X at the time.
TRUMP ADMIN PAUSES VISA APPOINTMENTS WORLDWIDE AMID HEIGHTENED SCREENING FOR APPLICANTS
The State Department under Secretary of State Marco Rubio has yanked thousands of visas for overstays and law violations — including support for terrorism. (Reuters)
He noted that frivolous claims have swamped the system, which could take years to adjudicate whether applicants are entitled to asylum in the U.S.
In August, the State Department also revoked more than 175,000 visas. The majority of those were revoked due to law enforcement encounters for a range of criminal activity, with assault, driving under the influence, theft and drug crimes being the leading causes.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
A significant share of visas were revoked for reckless driving, sexual assault, child abuse, fraud and embezzlement and other crimes, the agency said.