The Trump administration has canceled 85,000 visas this year, double the 2024 target.

Since January, the administration of the 47th US President has canceled 85,000 visas of all categories—more than double the number last year. Among the canceled visas were more than 8000 student visas, according to CNN.

A State Department official reported on December 8 that offenses such as drunk driving, assault, and theft accounted for "nearly half of the revocations over the past year." He did not specify the reasons for the other half of visas revoked this year, but the State Department has previously cited expiration and "support for terrorism" as grounds for visa revocation, among other reasons.

The mass revocations raised First Amendment concerns, as administration officials particularly targeted foreign students participating in protests against the Gaza War. The students are accused of anti-Semitism and supporting terrorism. In October, the State Department announced it had revoked some visas for those allegedly "celebrating" the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

On the subject: The US has introduced a $100,000 fee for H-1B work visas.

The latest figures come after a State Department official said in August that the agency plans to implement a policy of "continuous screening" of "all of the more than 55 million aliens" holding valid U.S. visas.

"The State Department revokes visas whenever there is evidence of potential problems, including overstay, criminal activity, a threat to public safety, participation in any form of terrorist activity, or providing support to a terrorist organization," the official said at the time.

"We review all available information as part of our review, including law enforcement or immigration records, as well as any other information that becomes known after a visa has been issued that indicates the individual is not suitable," he added.

During Donald Trump's second term, the State Department significantly expanded the criteria under which visa applicants could be subject to enhanced scrutiny or denied.

According to Reuters, under provisions outlined in a diplomatic note last week, the State Department may deny visas to those engaged in activities such as content moderation and fact-checking as part of "enhanced vetting" of H-1B visas for highly skilled workers. This follows Secretary of State Marco Rubio's May announcement of a policy restricting visas for foreigners who attempt to restrict American freedom of speech.

In June, the State Department told its embassies and consulates that they must screen student visa applicants for "hostility toward our citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles."

Under the new guidelines, applicants are asked to disclose their social media profiles as part of the screening process, with the diplomatic note noting that "limited access or limited visibility of online activity may be interpreted as an attempt to avoid or conceal certain activities."

Rubio has vigorously defended the Trump administration's student visa revocation policy.

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In addition to the State Department's visa denial and revocation policies, the Department of Homeland Security is pursuing aggressive detention and deportation campaigns. The administration has effectively frozen the refugee resettlement program and announced it will review the cases of all refugees admitted under the Biden administration.

Earlier this year, the White House restricted travel to the United States for citizens of 19 countries. Last week, CNN reported that, according to a source, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is recommending expanding this list to 30-32 countries. This initiative comes after a shooting in Washington, D.C., that injured two National Guard soldiers. The suspect in the shooting was an Afghan citizen.

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