US State Department Revokes Over 6,000 Student Visas

The United States has revoked more than 6,000 student visas in the past seven months, the State Department confirmed on Monday.

According to officials, the move is part of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s sweeping crackdown on international students accused of violating U.S. laws or acting against the country’s foreign policy interests.

A senior State Department spokesperson said the majority of revoked visas were linked to offenses such as assault, DUI, burglary, and alleged support for terrorism. Around 4,000 of the cancellations were attributed to direct violations of U.S. law.

While the department did not provide a breakdown by nationality, Rubio has repeatedly pledged to be tougher on students from China. He has also targeted student activists critical of Israel, accusing them of anti-Semitism—allegations they strongly reject.

Rubio told reporters in March that visa revocations had become a daily exercise. “Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visas,” he declared.

The policy has already drawn criticism following high-profile cases. In May, Turkish graduate student Rumeysa Ozturk of Tufts University was detained after publishing an article critical of Israel in her campus newspaper, before a judge ordered her release. In June, Mahmoud Khalil, a legal permanent U.S. resident and leader of pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, was also freed after a judge blocked his deportation. Khalil has since sued the administration, accusing it of trying to “terrorize” him and his family.

Rubio has defended the measures, insisting that visa issuance and revocation fall under executive authority and that foreign students are not entitled to U.S. constitutional free speech protections.