President Donald Trump's administration has revoked some 4,000 student visas primarily from those with criminal records, the New York Post reported in an exclusive. Some 90% were charged with a crime, including at least 500 who were accused of assault.
The other crimes included domestic abuse, DUI, child endangerment, wildlife and human trafficking, arson, and robbery. "They came and they were breaking the law with no consequences," a source told the Post.
"We set up a special action team to handle this," the source added. The State Department and the Department of Homeland Security cross-checked criminal records to target only the most "serious" offenders.
"There were cases like where it was not a serious thing, like littering, or somebody had charges that were dropped, where we didn’t revoke those. Because it should be a serious matter," the source explained.
The administration has been going full steam ahead to address immigration problems in Trump's first 100 days. "Perhaps in the future other visa categories, not just students, will be looked at," the source promised.
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has committed to Trump's "zero tolerance" policy for those on student visas who sided with pro-Palestine protestors. "No one’s entitled to a student visa," Rubio noted during a cabinet meeting.
"If you come to this country as a student, we expect you to go to class, study, and get a degree. If you come here to vandalize a library, take over a campus, and do all kinds of crazy things, we’re going to get rid of these people," Rubio added.
Notices were sent out to the impacted students who were largely from nations in the Middle East and Asia. Already, several students have self-deported after the State Department removed their legal status, while others could face immigration authorities.
Trump made fixing immigration one of his campaign promises, and he is clearly intent on keeping it. While some are crying foul over these moves, the State Department emphasizes that this is all part of its routine responsibilities.
When Fox News Digital reached out for comment, a spokesperson for the State Department said it "revokes visas every day in order to secure America's borders and keep our communities safe – and will continue to do so." The spokesperson stated that they do not track statistics on revoking student visas.
However, this aspect is important to the safety of the U.S. "The Trump Administration is focused on protecting our nation and our citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process," the spokesperson said.
"Every prospective traveler to the United States undergoes interagency security vetting. Prohibiting entry to the United States by those who might pose a threat to U.S. national security or public safety is key to protecting U.S. citizens at home," the spokesperson explained.
"The Department of State will continue to work closely with the Department of Homeland Security to enforce zero tolerance for aliens in the United States who violate U.S. laws, threaten public safety, or in other situations where warranted," the person added. This is a far cry from how his predecessor viewed illegal immigration, but that's exactly the aim.
Trump is doing precisely what he was elected to do when it comes to closing the borders and kicking out criminals. People who are not citizens don't have the same rights as Americans, and student visas are just another privilege that can and should be withdrawn any time there is a crime.
