US: 85K visas are revoked by the due to public safety concerns
US: According to a senior State Department source, the United States has canceled 85,000 visas in various categories this year. The move is part of a stepped-up effort to safeguard American communities and enforce public safety regulations.
In answer to a query, a State Department official said, “We’ve revoked 85,000 visas of all categories, including more than 8,000 students, which is more than double the numbers the year before.”
We withdrew the visas for a number of reasons, including theft, violence, and DUIs, which combined accounted for over half of the revocations in the previous year. We do not want these individuals in our nation because they directly endanger the safety of our communities,” the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.
According to the person, the government continues to have a strict visa-vetting policy, especially for applicants from high-risk backgrounds. “I believe this administration has always had concerns with the security in Afghanistan [after the withdrawal] and making sure that we can appropriately vet and validate that visa applicants won’t be a threat,” the official said in reference to Afghanistan.
“We will take as much time as it takes, and we will not issue a visa until we are sure the applicant does not pose a threat to Americans’ safety and security,” the person said, emphasizing that security procedures would not be hurried.
The official was also questioned about whether the Trump administration’s new regulations may result in a visa refusal for engaging in fact-checking or content-moderation activities, such as working for social media or civil society groups.
“The Trump Administration is protecting Americans from foreigners who want to censor them, and freedom of speech is a fundamental American value,” the official said. “For this reason, in May, Secretary Rubio implemented a visa restriction aimed at foreign nationals who restrict Americans.”
However, the official went on to say that no single factor is used to evaluate these instances.
“Consular officers look at the entirety of an individual’s circumstances when determining whether an applicant qualifies for a visa, then they make a case-by-case determination regarding eligibility for a US visa,” the official said.
Following the military pullout from Afghanistan in 2021, which left thousands of people looking for resettlement or visas via special US programs, the US is now improving its immigration and screening processes, which coincides with the increased scrutiny. All Afghan candidates must pass multilayered security screenings, a requirement that has caused significant delays but is still essential to US national security policy, according to repeated emphasis from US officials.
In the past, the US has modified its immigration and visa laws in reaction to changes in the state of international security, such as after significant geopolitical events or changes in government. Large-scale measures, like the 85,000 amount mentioned this year, highlight Washington’s continued focus on public safety and homeland-security risk assessments across all visa categories, even if visa revocations for criminal activity are not unusual.