During the second term of U.S. President Donald Trump, his administration has revoked more than 300,000 U.S. visas, the State Department announced on Tuesday. This wave of visa cancellations is part of a broader, highly stringent policy by the U.S. federal government aimed at curbing illegal immigration, as reported by the news agency Reuters. The rate of these cancellations has accelerated significantly in recent weeks. According to Trump, his anti-immigration crackdown and deportation efforts are intended to enhance domestic security. However, rights activists argue that these measures violate due process and the right to freedom of expression. They contend that this has created an insecure environment—particularly for ethnic minorities, who fear becoming targets of racial profiling.
“Zero Tolerance” Policy: While announcing the latest figures on visa cancellations, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott stated that the Trump administration has revoked more visas—and at a faster pace—than any other administration in history. He emphasized that the administration maintains a “zero tolerance” policy toward foreign nationals in the U.S. who break the law, engage in fraud, or compromise national security, noting that there is “no sympathy” for such individuals.
Concerns from Rights Activists: Among the visa cancellations drawing sharp criticism from rights advocates are those affecting pro-Palestinian foreign protesters who demonstrated against the attacks in Gaza by Israel—a U.S. ally—as well as the revocation of visas for foreign nationals who made social media comments regarding the attempted assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. In addition to efforts to deport foreign protesters, the Trump administration has intensified its surveillance of the social media activity of immigrants and visa applicants.
Rights activists argue that the government is using “national security” as a pretext to target its critics. They further contend that the administration is leveraging isolated incidents of fraud to cast a wide net, unfairly targeting entire immigrant communities—such as the Somali-American population in Minnesota. Although Donald Trump campaigned in 2024 on a promise to halt illegal immigration, his administration has also made legal immigration more difficult. For instance, they have imposed substantial fees for certain types of work visas.
