WASHINGTON, Aug 11 : The US State Department has revoked more than 175,000 visas under President Donald Trump, citing criminal activity, fraud, immigration violations, calls for violence and national security concerns.
"Under President Trump, the United States has revoked more than 175,000 visas from foreign nationals who violated the terms of their visas, committed crimes, called for violence against US citizens, defrauded Americans, abused our immigration system, or endangered national security," the department said.
The majority of the visa revocations followed law enforcement encounters involving crimes including assault, driving under the influence, theft and drug offences, according to a State Department.
Other cases involved sexual assault, child abuse, fraud, embezzlement and reckless driving. The revocations were part of its ongoing screening of foreign nationals in the United States.
In addition to visa revocations, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has determined that several foreign nationals are deportable on foreign-policy grounds. Those cases include nationals from Cuba and Iran whom it linked to foreign-government influence operations, as well as individuals from Laos and Kuwait.
The State Department said the Kuwait case involved a foreign national who "wished for violence against the President of the United States" and referred to Americans as his "enemy." "Under President Trump and Secretary Rubio's leadership, the State Department will continue to identify, investigate, and revoke the visas of foreign nationals who threaten the safety of the American people," the department said. "A US visa is a privilege, not a right," it added.
The State Department cited individual cases involving allegations including felony rape and sexual battery, kidnapping and human trafficking, sexual exploitation of a minor, child sexual abuse material and domestic violence.
It also said a US embassy in North Africa had revoked more than 100 visas from parents it described as "birth tourists" who traveled to the United States primarily to give birth so their children would obtain US citizenship.
The department said it had also revoked visas from foreign nationals accused of fraud, including one person it said helped orchestrate a Medicaid scheme involving more than $5 million in allegedly fake services. Another case involved a person accused of fabricating business revenue and forging documents to obtain a visa, the fact sheet stated.
The department also cited cases involving foreign nationals who celebrated the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. It said one person wrote, "When fascists die, democrats don't complain," while another said Kirk "died too late."
(UNI)
