WASHINGTON

The US State Department said Thursday that it is reviewing the records of all the more than 55 million foreigners holding valid American visas to determine possible revocations or violations.

“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,” a State Department spokesperson said in response to a question from Anadolu, noting that the department’s “continuous vetting includes all of the more than 55 million foreigners who currently hold valid U.S. visas.”

The spokesperson said the State Department under the Trump administration is revoking visas “in cases where a foreign visitor overstays their lawful period of admission, engages in criminal activity, provides material support to a terrorist organization, or otherwise violates U.S. law.”

The move comes as the administration intensifies its crackdown on immigrants and foreign students, including those who joined pro-Palestine campus protests.

On Tuesday, the administration announced that it would begin looking for “anti-American” views, including on social media, when assessing applications for US citizenship and other immigration benefits.

Earlier this week, the department said that since President Donald Trump’s return to the White House, more than 6,000 student visas have been revoked, including hundreds linked to terrorism-related concerns.

But the administration has faced legal setbacks.

Mahmoud Khalil, a legal US resident who led pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, was released by a judge in June after his visa was revoked. In May, a judge also blocked the deportation of Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish PhD student at Tufts University, who had written an article critical of Israel in the school’s student newspaper.