AUGUST 22, 2025
The US State Department confirmed Wednesday that the Trump administration is combing through the records of more than 55 million foreigners with valid visas, checking for potential violations that could trigger revocation and deportation.
Officials said the sweeping review covers all visa categories – student, work, visitor, and more. The aim is to identify people who overstayed, committed crimes, or are linked to activity deemed a threat to public safety or national security. “We review all available information, including law enforcement and immigration records,” the department said, adding that the process amounts to “continuous vetting” of every visa holder.
Thousands of Student Visas Already Revoked
Since President Donald Trump returned to office in January, more than 6,000 student visas have been revoked. Grounds cited include overstays, assaults, driving under the influence, and suspected links to terrorism. Secretary of State Marco Rubio pointed to a 1952 law that allows visa revocation for actions considered harmful to US foreign policy. He has argued that recent pro-Palestinian protests fall under that category.
The push builds on Trump’s first-term policies but goes further, relying on expanded social media checks and deeper data-sharing across agencies. One recent step – a controversial deal with the Internal Revenue Service, grants immigration authorities access to millions of immigrant tax records, raising fresh privacy concerns.
Political and Legal Backlash
The effort ties directly to Trump’s campaign promise of the “largest domestic deportation operation” in US history. Since January, his administration says it has deported 139,000 non-citizens, arrested another 150,000, and moved to end protections like Temporary Protected Status for nearly one million people.
Civil rights groups have already pushed back. The ACLU called the visa review “a due-process disaster,” pointing to the case of Xiaotian Liu, a Dartmouth student detained without explanation earlier this year. Other critics highlight the risk of deportations to third countries with poor human-rights records, including El Salvador.
What Comes Next
With detention space limited to about 41,500 beds nationwide, immigration authorities face logistical hurdles in scaling up enforcement. Nearly 40 lawsuits are already pending, and whistleblowers inside the system have alleged misuse of data.
The State Department urged visa holders to remain compliant with US immigration rules. Inquiries can be directed to (202) 647-4000 or through travel.state.gov.
Courtesy/Source: Times Now / PTI
