The State Department has revoked more than 6,000 student visas this year due to individuals overstaying their visas and violating the law while in the US, including supporting terrorism.
The Trump administration has emphasized its effort to more rigorously vet current and future visa holders in recent months, particularly those attending academic institutions while expressing pro-terrorism sentiments. In May, Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the administration was reviewing the visa status of students who participated in anti-Israel protests.
According to a report by Fox News, the Trump administration has revoked approximately 6,000 student visas primarily due to visa overstays and various crimes such as assault, DUI, burglary, and terrorism support.
“Every single student visa revoked under the Trump Administration has happened because the individual has either broken the law or expressed support for terrorism while in the United States,” a State Department official told Fox News. “About 4,000 visas alone have been revoked because these visitors broke the law while visiting our country, including records of assault and DUIs.”
Roughly 800 students had their visas revoked specifically for assault, with many facing arrest or criminal charges. Between 200 to 300 individuals had visas pulled for supporting terrorism, such as raising funds for Hamas.
Back in May, Rubio told the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign Affairs that thousands of student visas had already been rescinded since the Trump administration took office.”
“We’re going to continue to revoke the visas of people who are here as guests and are disrupting our higher education facilities,” Rubio said at the time.
The State Department further revealed that approximately 40,000 visas have been revoked altogether in 2025. This is a substantial increase from the 16,000 pulled during the same time under the previous administration.
The effort follows executive orders signed by the president in January aimed at cracking down on antisemitism and strengthening national security against foreign terrorists. One order directed the State Department, along with the Department of Homeland Security, the attorney general, and the director of national intelligence, to “vet and screen to the maximum degree possible all aliens who intend to be admitted, enter, or are already inside the United States, particularly those aliens coming from regions or nations with identified security risks.”
