US student visa revocations reach 6,000 in 2025 over overstays, crime, and terrorism ties, amid Trump administration crackdown

US student visa revocations have surged in 2025, with more than 6,000 international students losing their visas due to overstays, criminal activity, and alleged support for terrorism, according to the State Department.

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A senior State Department official told Fox News Digital that about 4,000 visas were revoked over criminal offenses, including assault, DUIs, and burglary.

Another 200–300 were tied to terrorism-related allegations, including cases of fundraising for Hamas, which the U.S. designates as a terrorist organization.

“Every single student visa revoked under the Trump administration has happened because the individual has either broken the law or expressed support for terrorism while in the United States,” the official stated.

The crackdown extends to political activity, particularly pro-Palestinian demonstrations on U.S. campuses. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed in May that students involved in such protests faced visa reviews.

“We’re going to continue to revoke the visas of people who are here as guests and are disrupting our higher education facilities,” Rubio told the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on May 20.

So far in 2025, approximately 40,000 visas of all categories have been revoked, more than double the 16,000 reported during the same period under the Biden administration.

Critics, however, argue the aggressive policy threatens civil liberties and unfairly targets foreign students. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) described the approach as “a fundamental attack on freedom,” warning that revoking visas without due process undermines democratic protections.

The measures are part of President Donald Trump’s executive orders signed in January, directing agencies to intensify vetting of foreign nationals and prosecute or deport individuals linked to terrorism, antisemitism, or campus unrest.

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Student visas, unlike green cards, only permit temporary study at U.S. institutions and do not provide a pathway to permanent residency.