Trump administration is reviewing all 55 million foreigners with US
visas for any violations
[August 22, 2025]
By MATTHEW LEE
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration said Thursday it is reviewing
more than 55 million people who have valid U.S. visas for any violations
that could lead to deportation, part of a growing crackdown on
foreigners who are permitted to be in the United States.
In a written answer to a question from The Associated Press, the State
Department said all U.S. visa holders, which can include tourists from
many countries, are subject to “continuous vetting,” with an eye toward
any indication they could be ineligible for permission to enter or stay
in the United States.
Should such information be found, the visa will be revoked, and if the
visa holder is in the United States, he or she would be subject to
deportation.
Since President Donald Trump took office, his administration has focused
on deporting migrants illegally in the United States as well as holders
of student and visitor exchange visas. The State Department’s new
language suggests that the continual vetting process, which officials
acknowledge is time-consuming, is far more widespread and could mean
even those approved to be in the U.S. could abruptly see those
permissions revoked.
There were 12.8 million green-card holders and 3.6 million people in the
U.S. on temporary visas last year, according to the Department of
Homeland Security.
The 55 million figure suggests that some people subject to review would
currently be outside the United States with multiple-entry tourist
visas, said Julia Gelatt, associate director of the U.S. immigration
policy program at the Migration Policy Institute. She questioned the
value of spending resources on people who may never return to the United
States.
The State Department said it was looking for indicators of
ineligibility, including people staying past the authorized timeframe
outlined in a visa, criminal activity, threats to public safety,
engaging in any form of terrorist activity or providing support to a
terrorist organization.
“We review all available information as part of our vetting, including
law enforcement or immigration records or any other information that
comes to light after visa issuance indicating a potential
ineligibility,” the department said.
No more worker visas for commercial truck drivers
The U.S. also will stop issuing worker visas for commercial truck
drivers, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday on X. He said the
change was effective immediately.
“The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large
tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads is endangering American lives and
undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers,” Rubio posted.
The Trump administration in the past months has taken steps to enforce
the requirement that truckers speak and read English proficiently. The
Transportation Department said the aim is to improve road safety
following incidents in which drivers’ ability to read signs or speak
English may have contributed to traffic deaths.
The State Department said later Thursday it was pausing the processing
of these work visas to review its “screening and vetting protocols.”
“Ensuring that every driver on our roads meets the highest standards is
important to protecting the livelihoods of American truckers and
maintaining a secure, resilient supply chain,” the department said.
Edward Alden, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said
foreign workers have helped address a labor shortage of commercial truck
drivers.
[to top of second column]
|
President Donald Trump speaks at the Kennedy Center, Wednesday, Aug.
13, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
“This action should be seen as part of a concerted effort by the
administration to discourage American companies and other
institutions like universities and hospitals from hiring and
retaining foreign workers,” Alden wrote in an email.
"The goal here is not to target specific classes of workers, but to
send the message to American employers that they are at risk if they
are employing foreign workers. The economic consequences will be far
larger than just visas being stripped from foreign workers in a few
job categories.”
New review of all visa holders is a major expansion
The administration has steadily imposed more restrictions and
requirements on visa applicants, including requiring them to submit
to in-person interviews. The review of all visa holders appears to
be a significant expansion of what had initially been a process
focused mainly on students who have been involved in what the
government perceives as pro-Palestinian or anti-Israel activity.
Officials say the reviews will include all visa holders’ social
media accounts, law enforcement and immigration records in their
home countries, along with any actionable violations of U.S. law
committed while they were in the United States.
The reviews will include new tools for data collection on past,
present and future visa applicants, including a complete scouring of
social media sites made possible by new requirements introduced
earlier this year. Those make it mandatory for privacy switches on
cellphones and other electronic devices or apps to be turned off
when an applicant appears for a visa interview.
“As part of the Trump Administration’s commitment to protect U.S.
national security and public safety, since Inauguration Day the
State Department has revoked more than twice as many visas,
including nearly four times as many student visas, as during the
same time period last year,” the State Department said.
The vast majority of foreigners seeking to come to the U.S. require
visas, especially those who want to study or work for extended
periods. Among the exceptions for short-term tourist or business
visits are citizens of the 40 mainly European and Asian countries
belonging to the Visa Waiver Program, which grants those nationals a
stay of up to three months without having to apply for a visa.
But large swaths of the world — including highly populated countries
like China, India, Indonesia, Russia and most of Africa — are not
part of the program, meaning their citizens must apply for and
receive visas to travel to the United States.
Earlier this week, the department said that since Trump returned to
the White House, it has revoked more than 6,000 student visas for
overstays and violations of local, state and federal law, the vast
majority of which were assault, driving under the influence of
alcohol or drugs and support for terrorism.
It said about 4,000 of those 6,000 were due to actual infractions of
laws and that approximately 200 to 300 visas were revoked for
terrorism-related issues, including providing support for designated
terrorist organizations or state sponsors of terrorism.
___
Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed.
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
