The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has announced plans to revoke the non-immigrant visas of foreigners who have applied for or are currently seeking asylum in the United States.
The proposed move is the latest in a series of immigration measures by the Trump administration targeting both undocumented migrants and legal immigrants.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson said on Monday that the department was coordinating with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to identify and revoke the non-immigrant visas of foreigners who entered the country as short-term visitors but later filed for asylum.
The spokesperson said the measure was aimed at people who had entered the U.S. claiming to be short-term visitors but subsequently sought to remain in the country permanently through asylum applications.
The department did not disclose the number of visas that could be affected.
However, the Associated Press (AP), citing State Department documents and two U.S. officials, reported that as many as 200,000 business and tourism visa holders could be affected.
If implemented on that scale, the measure would reportedly constitute the largest single mass revocation of U.S. visas in history.
According to AP, the State Department plans to revoke B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 to holders who have sought or are currently seeking asylum.
B1 and B2 visas are non-immigrant visas primarily issued to foreigners travelling to the U.S. for business and tourism purposes.
The planned revocations would not automatically lead to immediate deportation.
AP reported that most people with pending asylum applications would be re-categorised but would lose their status as business or tourism visitors.
Also on Monday, Aug. 24, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau alleged in a post on X that the American immigration system had “long been swamped by frivolous asylum claims”.
The State Department had earlier disclosed that the Trump administration had revoked more than 175,000 visas as part of its broader immigration enforcement efforts.
Trump has said the measures are intended to strengthen U.S. domestic security and enforce the country’s immigration laws.
Rights groups, however, have criticised the administration’s immigration crackdown, arguing that some of the measures could undermine free speech and due process rights.
They have also raised concerns that the policies could create an unsafe environment for ethnic minorities and increase the risk of racial profiling.
The proposed visa revocation policy is expected to attract further scrutiny as the U.S. government continues to tighten its immigration enforcement measures.
