Trump administration plans to revoke 200,000 visas of asylum seekers

The Trump administration said on Monday it is planning to revoke business and tourism visas of 200,000 foreigners who have applied for or are currently seeking asylum in the United States.

Unless challenges or revised, the move would mark the largest single mass revocation of visas in US history.

“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,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said.

He did not comment on the exact number of visas that would be revoked, claiming that "the number of revocations remains dynamic and will be done on a rolling basis".

In the coming weeks, the State Department is expected to announce the revocation of B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 for those that have sought or are currently seeking asylum, according to documents obtained by press agency The Associated Press and two US officials that spoke on condition of anonymity.

B1 visas are typically issued for business trips and B2 visas for tourism, family visits and medical care. Current applicants for both categories are asked to confirm that they are not seeking asylum in the US and provide proof that they intend to return to their home countries.

The revocation of the visa would not immediately result in the deportation of the individual, the officials clarified, but those with pending asylum cases would lose their status as business or tourism travellers.

The move is the latest in the Trump administration’s broader immigration crackdown, which has intensified since President Donald Trump returned to office for his second term.

The administration has already tightened restrictions on visa applicants, including requiring applicants to provide their social media histories, imposing expensive bonds before visas can be processed, and complete visa bans on citizens of certain countries.

On Friday, a judge struck down a Trump administration policy implemented earlier this year that suspended the visa issuance of immigrant visas from 75 countries.

US District Judge Jeannette Vargas, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden, said the policy was "contrary to law and in excess of statutory authority," arguing that it undermines Congress's requirement that consular officers are at the forefront of making visa decisions.