United States Revokes 85,000 Visas Cites Public-Safety Concerns

Earl · Wednesday at 7:20 AM

United States revokes 85,000 visas cites public-safety concerns

The administration’s approach, the official says, is marked by strict vigilance, with extra scrutiny for applicants from high-risk regions

i

Published: 09 Dec 2025 at 9:27 AM
The United States has swept aside 85,000 visas across categories in 2025, a senior state department official revealed, casting the move as part of a broadened campaign to safeguard American communities and uphold the country’s public-safety standards.

“We’ve revoked 85,000 visas of all categories — including more than 8,000 belonging to students — more than double last year’s number,” the official said. The reasons, they noted, were as troubling as they were clear: DUIs, assaults, and theft, offences that together made up nearly half of all revocations.

“These are individuals who pose a direct threat to the safety of our communities, and we do not want them in our country,” the official added, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The administration’s approach, the official stressed, is guided by an uncompromising vigilance, with particular scrutiny reserved for applicants from high-risk regions. On Afghanistan, the official pointed to persistent security concerns following the 2021 withdrawal: “This administration has always been mindful of the security environment there and of ensuring that we can properly vet and validate that visa applicants will not be a threat.”

Also Read:

Security checks, they insisted, will not be hurried. “We will take as much time as it takes, and we will not issue a visa until we are certain the applicant poses no threat to Americans’ safety and security.”

The official was also asked whether foreign nationals involved in fact-checking or content-moderation work — be it through social-media firms or civil-society organisations — could find themselves at risk under the Trump administration’s newly minted visa policies.

“Freedom of speech is a cornerstone of American identity,” the official said. “The Trump Administration is protecting Americans from foreigners who seek to censor them. That is why Secretary Rubio introduced, in May, a visa restriction targeting foreign nationals who engage in such censorship.”