Trump’s First Year: How Many Visas Did the US Cancel?

Ever since Donald Trump took office in January last year, the US State Department has started cracking a strong whip on immigrants who resort to visa abuse in whatever manner which is perceived illegal in the country. While the earlier administrations exercised some leniency, Trump’s government has mostly adopted a zero tolerance policy in this aspect so far. 

Now, Trump’s top aide and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has once again reiterated the bold and ruthless stance with his recent statements. He categorically stated that a US Visa is just a privilege and not a right. He warned that the United States will revoke any type of Visa if foreign visitors are found engaging in activities that threaten national security. 

Rubio clarified that the policy applies to all temporary visa categories, including students, tourists and journalists. He cautioned that individuals who undertake activities deemed contrary to US national interest after entering the country could have their visas withdrawn, adding that such visas would likely not have been issued had authorities anticipated those actions.

His strong reiteration of Trump’s hardline approach towards immigrants during a foreign visit has now become a talking point in the global media because these statements give a loud and clear message to the world that US government will not step back in tightening the Visa norms even though they are challenged in the courts. 

In line with the tough immigration policy as part of Trump’s ‘America First’ poll promise, the US government has already revoked over 100K Visas of different categories in the last one year. The cancellation also extended to student visas granted for higher studies to foreign nationals. The number of deportations handled by the current regime is the highest ever recorded on paper. 

On the back of this, the administration has also adopted a stricter policy on granting visas, with tightened social media vetting and deeper screening of credentials of applicants. Moreover, it also imposed restrictions on Visas for immigrants from 75 countries over safety concerns.