The Trump administration has kicked off an unprecedented review of more than 55 million valid U.S. visa holders, in what officials call a “continuous vetting” push to weed out ineligible immigrants and fast-track deportations.
According to a State Department statement cited by AP, visa holders are now being tracked for overstays, criminal conduct, and links to terrorism. If found in violation, their visas will be revoked, and those already in the U.S. could face deportation.
The crackdown goes beyond paperwork. Authorities are combing through social media profiles, law enforcement files from home countries, and post-arrival U.S. violations.
What began as a probe into student visa holders tied to pro-Palestinian or anti-Israel activity has ballooned into a review of all visa categories.
Officials claim the numbers speak for themselves: since Trump’s return to office, the State Department has revoked more than twice the visas compared to the same period last year — including nearly four times as many student visas.
Just this week, over 6,000 student visas were canceled for violations ranging from overstays to DUI, assault, and terrorism links. Of those, 200–300 were tied to extremist affiliations.
The administration has already mandated in-person interviews for nearly all applicants, but this latest step marks a sharp escalation in post-issuance surveillance.
