The Trump White House is escalating its crackdown on illegal immigration.
On Thursday, the administration issued an order for the U.S. State Department to begin a thorough review of nearly 55 million foreign visa holders for potential violations, such as visa overstays or other failures to comply with immigration law.
“All U.S. visa holders … are subject to continuous vetting, with an eye toward any indication they could be ineligible for permission to enter or stay in the United States,” the State Department said.
“If such information is found, the visa will be revoked, and if the visa holder is in the United States, he or she would be subject to deportation,” the department added.
The State Department said it is looking for “indicators of ineligibility,” including overstays, criminal activity, threats to public safety, terrorist activity, or support for terrorist organizations.
“We review all available information as part of our vetting, including law enforcement or immigration records or any other information that comes to light after visa issuance, indicating a potential ineligibility,” the department said.
Officials confirmed that reviews now include social media checks, along with new requirements introduced earlier this year mandating that privacy switches on cellphones and apps be turned off during visa interviews.
The State Department said that “as part of the Trump Administration’s commitment to protect U.S. national security and public safety, since Inauguration Day, the State Department has revoked more than twice as many visas, including nearly four times as many student visas, as during the same time period last year.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also announced Thursday that the U.S. will stop issuing worker visas for commercial truck drivers. The announcement comes after a fatal accident involving an illegal alien who drove from California and killed three people in Florida by making an illegal U-turn — all because he was unable to read English.
“The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers,” Rubio wrote on X.
The State Department said later that day that it was pausing processing of truck driver visas to review “screening and vetting protocols.”
“Ensuring that every driver on our roads meets the highest standards is important to protecting the livelihoods of American truckers and maintaining a secure, resilient supply chain,” the department said.
Earlier this week, the State Department said that since Trump’s return to office, it has revoked more than 6,000 student visas for overstays and other violations, including crimes such as assault and driving under the influence. About 200 to 300 of those revocations were related to terrorism concerns, officials said.
Most foreigners require visas to enter the United States, with limited exceptions for citizens of the 40 countries in the Visa Waiver Program, which allows short-term visits of up to three months. Countries outside the program — including China, India, Russia, Indonesia and much of Africa — must obtain visas for travel.
Officials said the review of all visa holders would be ongoing. “Continuous vetting” will remain in effect as long as visas are valid, with the possibility that permission to remain in or return to the U.S. can be revoked at any time if new information emerges.
A new Pew Research Center analysis of Census Bureau data finds that, as of June 2025: “After more than 50 years of rapid growth, the nation’s immigrant population is now in decline.”
Here is the survey’s findings:
- 51.9 million immigrants lived in the U.S.
- 15.4% of all U.S. residents were immigrants, down from a recent historic high of 15.8%.
- 19% of the U.S. labor force were immigrants, down from 20% and by over 750,000 workers since January.
In January 2025, the U.S. foreign-born population hit a record high of 53.3 million. But in the months that followed, departures and deportations outpaced new arrivals. By June, the immigrant population had dropped by more than one million — the first decline the country has seen since the 1960s.