Washington: The US State Department has revoked more than 6,000 student visas after identifying violations of US law and cases of overstaying, the department has confirmed.
The student visas revocation has been framed as part of wider immigration enforcement measures to strengthen national security protections.
According to the agency, the vast majority of the violations have been linked to criminal activity such as assault, driving under the influence, and burglary. In addition, a number of visas have been revoked under provisions relating to terrorism.
While the department has not clarified its definition of ‘support for terrorism’, the Trump administration has linked the term to certain student protests and activism, particularly those expressing support for Palestine.
Of the total revoked visas, officials stated that around 4,000 were cancelled due to criminal law breaches. Between 200 and 300 visas were revoked under ‘terrorism done under INA 3B’, a section of the US Immigration and Nationality Act which broadly defines terrorist activity as acts that threaten human life or contravene US law.
Earlier in the year, the administration had paused the scheduling of visa appointments for international students. When the process resumed in June, applicants were instructed to provide public access to their social media accounts as part of enhanced vetting procedures.
Officers were told to check for indications of hostility toward the United States, as well as ties to foreign terrorist groups or engagement in anti-Semitic harassment or violence.
In May, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers that thousands of student visas had already been revoked since the start of the year. He added that the administration would continue revoking visas of individuals considered disruptive to higher education institutions.
The new measures have drawn criticism from Democrats, who argue the student visas policy undermines due process and unfairly targets international scholars. Many applicants now express regret about choosing US universities amid these volatile visa rule changes.
More than 1.1 million international students from over 210 countries were enrolled in US colleges and universities during the 2023–24 academic year, according to Open Doors, an organisation that tracks global student mobility.
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