President Donald Trump's administration has revoked about 80,000 nonimmigrant visas since taking office on Jan. 20 for offenses ranging from drunk driving to assault and theft, a senior State Department official said, Reuters reported, BTA reported.
The scale of the visa revocations, first reported by the "Washington Examiner", reflects a broader anti-immigration crackdown that began with Trump's inauguration, in which unprecedented numbers of immigrants, including those with valid visas, have been deported.
The administration has also adopted stricter visa policies, with stricter social media vetting and expanded check.
About 16,000 of the visas revoked were related to drunk driving, while about 12,000 were for assault and another 8,000 were for theft.
"These three crimes account for almost half of the visas revoked this year," the senior State Department official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
In August, a State Department spokesman said Washington had revoked more than 6,000 student visas for overstays and violations of the law, including a small number for "supporting terrorism.".
Last month, the U.S. State Department also said it had revoked the visas of at least six people for comments on social media about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in May that he had revoked the visas of hundreds, possibly thousands, of people, including students, for engaging in activities that he said were at odds with U.S. foreign policy priorities.
State Department guidelines this year instruct U.S. diplomats abroad to be vigilant against any candidates Washington may deem hostile to the United States and with a history of political activism.
Trump administration officials have said that student visa and green card holders are subject to deportation for their support for the Palestinians and criticism of Israel's conduct in the Gaza war, calling their actions a threat to U.S. foreign policy.