U.S. Cancels Over 250,000 Visas in 2026: Who Is Affected and Why?

The U.S. State Department reported on September 30, 2026 that it had revoked more than 250,000 visas since the start of the current Donald Trump administration. The agency attributed the decisions to immigration violations, alleged criminal activity, fraud, and security reasons; it did not assert that all cancellations occurred in 2026.

Why Were More Than 250,000 Visas Canceled?

Tommy Pigott, State Department spokesperson, confirmed the figure in statements to Fox News Digital. He said the government maintains a continuous review of visa holders to detect security risks and misuse of the immigration system. Secretary of State Marco Rubio heads the agency responsible for issuing and revoking those documents.

A department official listed different reasons for the revocations. These included failure to comply with visa conditions, fraud, alleged criminal activity, and conduct the agency considers threats to national security. That description encompasses different cases: it does not establish that each affected visa holder committed a crime or that a criminal conviction exists in all of them.

In August, the agency had reported a cumulative total exceeding 175,000 revoked visas. According to the same Fox News Digital report, among frequent reasons were incidents related to driving under the influence, assault, theft, and drugs. The new figure exceeds that earlier reference, but the published information does not offer a complete breakdown by nationality or visa type.

What Groups Appear Among Those Affected?

The State Department noted that 2,300 revocations were related to so-called «birth tourism.» That term refers to trips whose primary purpose, according to authorities, is to give birth in the United States so the baby obtains citizenship. The figure describes cases identified by the agency; it does not mean that being pregnant is, in itself, grounds for cancellation.