US revokes 175,000 visas in immigration crackdown

The US State Department has revoked 175,000 visas as part of an intensifying immigration crackdown, attributing the mass cancellations to sweeping vetting procedures targeting fraud, security threats, and criminal conduct, Al Jazeera reported Monday.

According to the department's notice, the overwhelming majority of revocations stemmed from violations of visa conditions, fraud, incitement to violence, threats to national security, and involvement in criminal activity -- part of a broader enforcement push that has intensified since President Donald Trump returned to the White House last year, sweeping up lawful visa holders alongside undocumented migrants. Officials said the continuous vetting process is designed to verify that visa holders are complying with the terms of their status and that their conduct poses no risk to American citizens, with assault, drunk driving, theft, and drug-related offences cited as leading grounds for revocation. In one notable case, a US embassy in North Africa cancelled the visas of more than 100 couples suspected of engaging in "birth tourism" -- travelling to the US with the intent of having children who would automatically acquire American citizenship.

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The State Department reiterated that a US visa is a privilege rather than a right, warning that any perceived abuse would trigger revocation and other appropriate action, and pledged continued efforts to identify and investigate foreign nationals who may pose security risks. The latest figures follow a similarly aggressive round of cancellations in January, when the department revoked more than 100,000 visas in what was then described as a record-setting crackdown.