Visa Revocations Target Political Speech, Not Just Crime

The State Department revoked 175,000+ visas since January 2025, quadrupling Biden-era pace. Most cited criminal activity, but the department has not disclosed the breakdown by category. Some revocations targeted speech: Tufts doctoral student Rümeysa Öztürk lost her visa after co-writing an op-ed criticizing her university's Gaza stance; others were pulled for comments on Charlie Kirk's killing. Where enforcement ends and ideological vetting begins remains unclear.