US Revokes More Than 250,000 Visas Since Trump Took Office

• The State Department confirmed it has cancelled more than 250,000 visas since President Donald Trump began his second term
• Revocations covered a wide range of violations, including criminal activity, national security concerns, birth tourism, and asylum system abuse
• 27 current and former Latin American officials and their family members lost their visas on Monday over corruption accusations

The United States State Department has revoked more than 250,000 visas since President Donald Trump returned to the White House, in what officials are describing as an unprecedented enforcement campaign targeting individuals deemed a threat to the country or its immigration system.

State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott confirmed the figure, saying the effort reflects the administration's commitment to protecting American citizens.

"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 said. "A U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right, and if you violate the terms of that privilege, you will lose it."

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Why more than 250,000 visas were cancelled

According to a State Department official, the grounds for cancellation spanned criminal behaviour, incitement to violence against the United States or its citizens, fraud, national security threats, and various forms of immigration abuse.

Approximately 2,300 of the revocations related to birth tourism, a practice in which foreign nationals travel to the US while pregnant in order to deliver on American soil and secure automatic citizenship for their child.

The largest single batch of cancellations occurred in August, when more than 175,000 visas were revoked in one sweep. The majority in that group were linked to law enforcement encounters, with assault, driving under the influence, theft, and drug offences identified as the primary causes. Other cases in that sweep involved reckless driving, sexual assault, fraud, and embezzlement.

Latin American officials also targeted

On Monday, the State Department cancelled the visas of 27 current and former Latin American officials, along with members of their families, citing corruption. Those affected held ties to Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

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Separately, the Trump administration moved over the summer to prepare for the cancellation of B1 and B2 visitor visas held by up to 200,000 foreigners who had entered the country as tourists but subsequently filed for asylum.

Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said Americans were "fed up" with what he termed "bogus asylum claims," arguing the asylum system was designed to handle genuine protection cases rather than function as a substitute route through immigration law. He noted that large volumes of frivolous applications had placed severe strain on the system, with some cases taking years to reach resolution.

US orders TPS holders from one African nation to leave

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that the United States has issued a warning to holders of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) from Ethiopia and 12 other countries.

DHS General Counsel James Percival said Judge Brian Murphy had lifted the stay on Ethiopia's TPS termination, clearing the path for all outstanding TPS terminations to take effect simultaneously.

Source: YEN.com.gh