The Department of State of the United States announced this Wednesday the revocation of visas for five foreign citizens arrested for drunk driving in U.S. territory, in an action that the Donald Trump administration presented as part of its road safety and immigration policy, as reported exclusively by The Daily Signal.
The spokesperson for the Department of State, Tommy Pigott, explained the scope of the measure with a straightforward message:
"These five foreigners ignored our laws and endangered our citizens with their dangerous and reckless actions on the road. We will not allow foreigners who violate the terms of their visa, break our laws, and put American citizens at risk to remain in the United States."
The five cases that prompted the revocations
The State Department publicly detailed each of the five cases, using the phrase “Revoked visa” in all of them to emphasize the finality of the sanction.
The first case involves a foreigner arrested for disorderly conduct, violent resistance to arrest, driving under the influence, and domestic violence. In light of this record, the institution was categorical:
"A scandalous and dangerous behavior that puts American communities at risk will never be tolerated."
The second case involves a foreigner arrested for aggravated drunk driving with a blood alcohol level nearly double the legal limit, while transporting a minor in the vehicle.
The Department deemed the behavior "unacceptable" and stated that "putting a child's life at risk on American roads is unjustifiable."
The third case is perhaps the most striking: the foreigner recorded a blood alcohol level more than three times above the legal limit and later arrived intoxicated at the rehabilitation program mandated by the court itself.
The official response was emphatic: "There will be no more second chances for foreign visitors who jeopardize American lives."
The fourth foreigner was arrested for driving under the influence and for causing injury to another person; while the fifth was detained for driving with heroin and with a blood alcohol level more than three times the legal limit.
Regarding this last point, the State Department stated that "the flagrant abuse of the hospitality of the United States will not be tolerated."
A policy of continuous visa review
Pigott emphasized that these revocations are not isolated actions, but part of a system of continuous evaluation
"The State Department will always prioritize the safety of Americans. That is why we conduct ongoing reviews of visa holders to ensure that foreigners do not pose a threat to the American people."
This mechanism encompasses over 55 million holders of U.S. visas, whose situations are continuously cross-referenced with law enforcement databases, as reported by PBS NewsHour.
The legal framework supporting these decisions is the Foreign Affairs Manual (9 FAM 403.11), which authorizes the revocation of visas when there is a record of arrest or conviction for driving under the influence within the past five years, even if there is no final conviction.
Since the beginning of Trump’s second term in January 2025, the administration has revoked more than 100,000 visas in total, with driving under the influence, assaults, and thefts being the main reasons, at a rate that doubled that recorded during the Biden administration.
Cases of driving under the influence have accounted for a significant portion of that total: according to figures from November 2025, about 16,000 of the approximately 80,000 non-immigrant visa cancellations at that time were linked to arrests for this reason, according to data from the Washington Examiner.
The announcement has a clear deterrent component: to inform any foreigner on U.S. soil that a DUI arrest could result in the loss of the right to remain in the country, regardless of whether there is a judicial conviction.
Related videos:
Filed under: