The United States has revoked more than 175,000 visas issued to foreign nationals under President Donald Trump’s administration, citing criminal offences, breaches of visa conditions and national security concerns.

The US Department of State disclosed this in a statement posted on its website on Monday.

It said most of the cancellations followed “law enforcement encounters involving criminal activity, with assault, driving under the influence, theft and drug-related offences among the leading causes”.

Other visa revocations were connected to “reckless driving, sexual assault, child abuse, fraud, embezzlement and other crimes”, the department said.

The State Department said the cancellations formed part of its continuous-vetting programme, which monitors visa holders to ensure compliance with US immigration requirements and to identify individuals considered threats to the country.

Some of the cases involved people charged with serious offences, including “felony rape and sexual battery, kidnapping, human trafficking, sexual exploitation of minors, child sexual abuse offences and domestic violence”.

The department also disclosed that a US embassy in North Africa had cancelled more than 100 visas issued to parents accused of engaging in “birth tourism”, travelling to the US primarily to give birth so their children could acquire American citizenship.

Other cases cited included a foreign national allegedly caught driving with heroin while having a blood alcohol level more than three times the legal limit.

The department also highlighted financial crime cases. One foreign national accused of running a legitimate healthcare-access business was allegedly involved in a Medicaid fraud scheme involving more than $5 million in fraudulent claims.

In another case, a foreign national was accused of falsifying company revenue figures and forging letters to deceive investors and obtain a US visa fraudulently.

The State Department also said some visa holders had been identified as allegedly celebrating the assassination of Charlie Kirk, including individuals who made statements appearing to praise or endorse his killing.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has additionally determined that some foreign nationals are deportable on foreign-policy grounds.

Among the cases mentioned were a Cuban national allegedly connected to an influence operation linked to the Cuban communist regime, Iranian nationals said to have ties to the Iranian government, a Laotian child sex offender who was pardoned by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, and a Kuwaiti national accused of expressing a desire for violence against the US president and referring to Americans as his “enemy”.

The department said the visa revocation exercise would continue as officials identify and investigate foreign nationals considered threats to public safety or national security.

“A U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right,” the department said, adding that it would deploy available measures to protect American communities from individuals who abuse the immigration system.