The administration of US President Donald Trump is preparing to revoke the business and tourism visas of up to 200,000 foreign nationals who have applied for or are currently seeking asylum in the United States.
Gatekeepers News reports that the planned action, if implemented, would represent the largest single mass revocation of US visas in history, according to a report by The Associated Press.
The State Department is expected to begin revoking B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 to individuals who have sought or are currently seeking asylum. The process will be carried out in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
B1 visas are generally issued to foreign nationals travelling to the US for business purposes, while B2 visas cover tourism, family visits and certain medical trips.
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said the department was working with DHS to identify and revoke the non-immigrant visas of foreigners who entered the country as short-term visitors but later filed for asylum to remain in the US permanently.
However, Pigott did not confirm the exact number of visas that would be revoked, saying the figure remains dynamic and that the revocations would be carried out on a rolling basis.
The revocation of a visa would not automatically lead to the immediate deportation of the affected individual. US officials said many people with pending asylum cases would instead lose their status as business or tourism visitors and be recategorised under their immigration status.
The move is part of the Trump administration’s broader immigration crackdown, which has included increased scrutiny of visa applicants, demands for social media information, visa bonds and restrictions affecting nationals of certain countries.
The administration has also previously revoked more than 175,000 visas since Trump returned to office, according to the State Department.
The proposed mass revocation is expected to face legal challenges if implemented, with immigration advocates raising concerns about the impact on people with pending asylum claims.
