Washington: The U.S. State Department announced on Monday that the Trump administration has revoked more than 6,000 student visas. Officials said most of the cancellations involved cases where visa holders either violated U.S. laws or overstayed their permitted duration. Around 200–300 cases were linked to terrorism-related activities.
According to a State Department official, nearly 4,000 visas were revoked due to criminal offenses — the majority involving assault cases. Other violations included driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and theft.
The move comes amid the Trump administration’s tightening of student visa regulations. U.S. embassies have been directed to step up scrutiny, including closer monitoring of social media activity and heightened caution toward politically active applicants.
The State Department clarified that terrorism-related cancellations were made under existing provisions of U.S. immigration law, which classify “engaging in terrorist activities” or “having links to terrorist organizations” as grounds for visa ineligibility.
Meanwhile, President Trump has accused several top U.S. universities of fostering antisemitism and supporting pro-Palestinian demonstrations. In a dispute with Harvard University, he threatened to cut off federal research funding and revoke its tax-exempt status.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio added that the administration had revoked not only student visas but also those of “hundreds of thousands” of others found to be involved in activities contrary to U.S. foreign policy priorities.
Critics, including rights groups and constitutional experts, have condemned the move, calling it an attack on free expression protected under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
