The State Department informed the BBC that more than 6,000 international student visas had been revoked due to infractions of US law and overstays.
According to the government, the “vast majority” of the infractions were assault, driving under the influence (DUI), burglary, and “support for terrorism”.
The move comes as the Trump administration continues to crack down on immigration and overseas students.
While the State Department did not explain what “support for terrorism” meant, the Trump administration has targeted some students who have protested in support of Palestine, claiming they had engaged in antisemitic activity.
The State Department stated that approximately 4,000 of the 6,000 revoked student visas were due to tourists breaking the law.
Another 200-300 visas were revoked for “terrorism committed under INA 3B,” according to the State Department, which refers to a rule that broadly defines “terrorist activity” as acts that risk human life or violate US law.
US restores student visas, but mandates increased social media vetting.
Students’regret’ applying to US universities following visa changes.
Earlier this year, the Trump administration stopped scheduling visa appointments for international students. When they resumed appointments in June, they declared that all applicants would be required to make their social media profiles public for better screening purposes.
They stated that they would seek out “any indications of hostility towards the citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles of the United States” .
State Department officers were also told to screen for anyone who “advocate for, aid, or support designated foreign terrorists and other threats to national security; or who commit unlawful anti-Semitic harassment or violence.”
Why did Trump revoke hundreds of international student visas?
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Congress in May that he believed “thousands” of student visas had been revoked since January.
“I don’t know the latest count, but we probably have more to do,” Rubio told US legislators on May 20. “We’re going to continue to revoke the visas of people who are here as guests and are disrupting our higher education facilities.”
Democrats have criticised the Trump administration’s move to cancel student visas, claiming it is an attack on due process.
According to Open Doors, an agency that gathers data on foreign students, more than 1.1 million international students from over 210 countries enrolled in US institutions during the 2023-24 school year.