“We are taking, and will continue to take, action to keep our borders, and our nation, secure,” the US Department of State said in an email to Al Jazeera on Tuesday.
An official told Al Jazeera, “The vast majority of these revocations were due to criminal activity, public safety concerns, immigration violations, fraud or misrepresentation, or other information indicating the individual was no longer eligible for a visa.”
“More than 4,000 of the revocations were for aliens who engaged in or facilitated birth tourism,” the official said. “Of [the visas revoked], the majority were revoked for criminal activity or other public safety concerns, including 25 percent for assault and related crimes and 22 percent for driving under the influence. Seven percent were based on theft, and another 7 percent for substance abuse or distribution.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Tommy Pigott, spokesman for the State Department, said on social media that the revocations targeted foreign nationals in the United States on visas who had broken the law, committed fraud or posed threats to national security.
“We have zero tolerance for foreigners here on visas who break the law, commit fraud or undermine our national security,” Pigott said in a post on X.
The number of visa revocations exceeded 175,000 in August.
In January, the department said it had revoked more than 100,000 visas, a record at the time.
The administration has also adopted a stricter visa policy, tightening social media vetting and expanding screening.
Rights advocates and experts have condemned the Trump administration’s social media screening efforts, which they say threaten free speech and are akin to surveillance and the singling out of immigrants.