US government signals all 55 million visas can face revocation

The State Department announced Thursday that all 55 million foreign nationals holding US visas are potentially subject to ongoing review, as the Trump administration intensifies its immigration crackdown.

"The Department's continuous vetting includes all of the more than 55 million foreigners who currently hold valid US visas," a State Department official said. "The State Department revokes visas any time there are indications of a potential ineligibility, which includes things like any indicators of overstays, criminal activity, threats to public safety, engaging in any form of terrorist activity or providing support to a terrorist organization."

While not all 55 million visas are actively under review at every moment, the administration has made clear that each visa holder could face scrutiny. Students are a particular focus, with officials monitoring social media activity that visa applicants must now disclose.

"We're reviewing all student visas," the anonymous official said, emphasizing that the department is "constantly monitoring what people have said" online.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also drawn attention by targeting anti-'Israel' activists under a rarely used law that allows visa revocations for individuals seen as acting against US foreign policy interests. Since Rubio assumed office in January under Trump, the State Department has revoked 6,000 visas, four times the number of student visas rescinded in the same period under former President Joe Biden.

Read more: US revokes over 6,000 student visas under Trump administration

Rubio maintains that the administration can issue and revoke visas without judicial oversight, asserting that non-US citizens do not have constitutional free speech protections.

However, courts have recently blocked two high-profile revocations. Mahmoud Khalil, a legal permanent US resident who organized pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, was released in June by a judge. Similarly, Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish graduate student at Tufts University who criticized 'Israel' in a campus publication, was freed by a judge in May pending further proceedings.