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Up to 200,000 Visas
The Trump administration is preparing to revoke the business and tourism visas of up to 200,000 foreigners who have applied for or are currently seeking asylum status in the United States, a move the State Department expects to announce in the coming weeks.
“The Trump administration is preparing to revoke the business and tourism visas of up to 200,000 foreigners”
The revocations would target so-called B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 whose holders have sought asylum or are now seeking asylum, with the action taken in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security.
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said, “We are coordinating with DHS to identify and revoke the nonimmigrant visas of foreigners who have come to the United States claiming to be short-term visitors, but then file for asylum to stay here permanently,” describing the plan as aimed at people who entered as temporary visitors.
Officials told the Associated Press that the revocations would not necessarily result in immediate deportation, and that most pending asylum cases would be recategorized but would lose status as business or tourism travelers.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, in a social media post on Monday, wrote on X, “People in the US and all over the world are fed up with bogus asylum claims,” framing the administration’s justification for the visa action.
What Cancellation Means
The plan, described in documents reviewed by The Associated Press and confirmed by two American officials, is not final yet and is expected to be carried out in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security.
Al-Jazeera Net said the move does not target asylum seekers in general, but a specific category among them: those who obtained a visa primarily intended for temporary stay before their stay path shifted to a request to remain in the country.
Al-Jazeera Net also reported that State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the process would continue and that “the number of visas canceled will remain variable, and cancellations will be carried out in sequence.”
Officials consulted by AP said the revocations would not necessarily cancel asylum applications, and that most people with asylum cases currently pending would be recategorized but would lose their status as business or tourism travelers.
France 24 reported that the State Department said the revocations would not necessarily result in immediate deportation, adding that most pending asylum cases would be re-categorised but would lose their status as business or tourism travelers.
Broader Crackdown Stakes
The visa revocation effort is presented as part of a broader tightening of immigration policy during President Donald Trump’s second term, with the State Department ramping up restrictions on visa applicants.
“In the past 18 months, the State Department has revoked about 175,000 visas”
ABC News said the administration has steadily ramped up restrictions by demanding more information about social media histories, requiring the posting of expensive bonds for visa processing, and outright banning the issuance of visas to citizens of certain countries.
In the past 18 months, ABC News reported that the State Department revoked about 175,000 visas for people convicted or accused of crimes ranging from drunken driving to rape and robbery, as well as for people who spoke out publicly against U.S. policies, particularly in the Middle East.
Al-Jazeera Net added that the screening of visa holders began after the State Department received information about asylum requests from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, tying the revocation process to asylum filings.
The Associated Press reported that the planned action would likely face legal challenges, and that unless challenged or revised, the State Department is expected to announce the revocation of B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 whose holders have sought asylum or are now seeking asylum.