55 million US visa holders under review, risk revocation or deportation

The US is reviewing 55 million visa records for possible revocation as Secretary of State Marco Rubio suspends truck driver visas citing safety concerns

The United States Department of State said it is reviewing the records of more than 55 million foreigners who hold valid US visas for potential revocation or deportable violations.

 

“In line with our policies, all visa holders are subject to continuous vetting,” the department said in a written response to the Associated Press. “We review all available information as part of our vetting, including law enforcement or immigration records or any other information that comes to light after visa issuance indicating a potential ineligibility.”

 

Grounds for revocation

 

The department said it was scanning for several risk factors, including:

 

Overstaying visas

Criminal activity

Threats to public safety

Engagement in “terrorist activity”

Providing support to a “terrorist organisation”

 

If such information is found, the visa will be revoked. If the individual is in the US, he or she may be deported.

 

Truck driver visas suspended

 

The announcement came shortly before US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday that the country was pausing the issuance of all worker visas for commercial truck drivers. On X, Rubio claimed foreign drivers were “endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers.”

 

Republican congressman Josh Williams reacted sharply, writing on X: “55 million visas is simply an incomprehensible number and a betrayal of working Americans who are now forced to compete in the same job and housing market as millions of people who shouldn’t be here.”

 

Atlanta-based immigration attorney Charles Kuck countered that the move was extreme. “With this, the dismantling of the Statue of Liberty will soon follow,” said Kuck, founding partner at Kuck Baxter Immigration.

 

Do note that the 55 million refers to valid visas held globally, not people currently in the US. According to the Migration Policy Institute, only 2 to 3 million temporary non-immigrant visa holders reside in the US, while the total foreign-born population is between 48 million and 53 million, including citizens and permanent residents.

 

Social media vetting for ‘anti-American’ views

 

The development follows another announcement by the Trump administration on Tuesday that it would now scrutinise visa applicants for “anti-American” views, including their social media posts.

 

Matthew Tragesser, spokesperson for US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), said, “America’s benefits should not be given to those who despise the country and promote anti-American ideologies. Immigration benefits – including to live and work in the United States – remain a privilege, not a right.”

 

USCIS said reviews for “anti-American activity” would be added to existing vetting.

 

Crackdown since January

 

Since Donald Trump took office in January, his administration has moved to expand enforcement beyond undocumented migrants. Officials have conducted raids in restaurants, construction sites and farms, and even in courthouses where migrants attend civil appointments needed to regularise their status.

 

The New York Times reported this week that the US is on track to deport 400,000 people in 2025.

 

Authorities have also rolled back humanitarian parole and Temporary Protected Status, which had allowed hundreds of thousands from crisis-hit countries to live and work in the US.

 

Impact on students

 

The student community has faced multiple disruptions this year. In April, the administration revoked or altered the status of hundreds of international students, before reinstating them weeks later. In May, student visa interviews were temporarily halted. In June, new measures were introduced requiring foreign students to provide access to their social media profiles for review before receiving educational or exchange visas.

 

On Monday, the state department said it had revoked 6,000 student visas since January. Around 4,000 of these were linked to offences including assault, drink-driving, burglary, and support for terrorism.  With inputs from AP