The United State Department has revoked more than 6,000 student visas since Secretary of State Marco Rubio assumed office seven months ago, marking one of the most aggressive crackdowns on foreign students in recent history.
A senior State Department official confirmed on Monday that the majority of the revoked visas were linked to alleged violations such as assault, burglary, driving under the influence, and suspected support for terrorism. Around 4,000 of the cases involved direct breaches of U.S. law.
Secretary Rubio, who has embraced the Trump administration’s hardline immigration stance, has frequently cited an obscure law that grants him authority to revoke visas on grounds of national security and foreign policy. He has vowed to target students—particularly from China—whom he accuses of undermining U.S. interests.
Rubio has also drawn criticism for linking student activism to national security threats. He has openly moved against foreign students who protested against Israel, accusing them of anti-Semitism, charges the activists strongly deny.
Two recent high-profile cases have put the administration under scrutiny. Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian rights activist and legal U.S. resident, was detained during protests at Columbia University but later freed by a judge. Similarly, Turkish student Rumeysa Ozturk, who criticized Israel in a campus newspaper, was arrested by plainclothes agents in Massachusetts before being released by court order.
Critics argue the crackdown amounts to political persecution and an assault on free speech. Rubio, however, insists the U.S. has the sovereign right to grant or revoke visas without judicial oversight, stating that foreign nationals are not entitled to constitutional protections.
The move has ignited fierce debate on whether America’s visa policies are being used to silence dissent, raising questions about the balance between national security and freedom of expression.
