The United States has revoked more than 85,000 visas since January, signaling an aggressive tightening of immigration rules under President Donald Trump. The State Department announced the move in a post on X emphasising that the administration, alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio, is committed to stricter vetting measures.
The State Department wrote, "85,000 visa revocations since January. President Trump and Secretary Rubio adhere to one simple mandate, and they won't stop anytime soon."
85,000 visa revocations since January.
December 9, 2025
President Trump and Secretary Rubio adhere to one simple mandate, and they won't stop anytime soon⤵️ pic.twitter.com/fbNYw9wj71Notably, around May, Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered more scrutiny of the social-media profiles of any foreigners seeking to visit Harvard University, telling US consular officers that applicants' lack of an online presence might be enough evidence to deny a visa.
AdvertisementRubio's cable, sent to embassies worldwide, marked the salvo by the Trump administration against Harvard, the foreign students who go there and elite universities more broadly. Rubio said the procedure spelled out in the document would serve as a pilot for the future days after he halted interviews for student visas to consider ways to weed out applicants deemed to pose possible risks to US national security.
Earlier in November, Secretary of Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said America is going to keep using the visa programmes and noted that more foreign-born people are becoming naturalised citizens under the Trump administration.
Advertisement"We're going to keep using our visa programmes. We're just going to make sure that they have integrity, that we're actually doing the vetting of the individuals who come into this country, that they want to be here for the right reasons, that they're not supporters of terrorists and organisations that hate America,” PTI reported Noem's comments given to Fox News.
Noem was asked what the administration's position is on the H-1B visas in the wake of Trump's latest remarks that America has to bring in talent since it does not have certain talents.
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