Trump Administration Plans to Revoke Visas of Asylum Seekers
The Trump administration is gearing up to revoke the business and tourism visas of around 200,000 foreigners who have applied for or are currently seeking asylum in the United States. This move, if implemented, would mark the largest mass revocation of visas in U.S. history and is likely to face legal challenges.
According to State Department documents obtained by The Associated Press and two U.S. officials, the revocation targets B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 to individuals who have either sought asylum or are in the process of seeking it. The State Department, in collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security, is expected to make an official announcement in the coming weeks.
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott stated, “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.”
The revocation of visas does not automatically lead to deportation, as most individuals with pending asylum cases would be reclassified but lose their status as business or tourism travelers. Since Trump’s second term began, the administration has progressively tightened visa restrictions, demanding more information from applicants, requiring costly visa bonds, and imposing visa bans on citizens of certain nations.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau criticized individuals who abuse tourist and business visas to gain entry to the U.S. and subsequently apply for asylum. He highlighted a case of a Colombian citizen who entered the U.S. on a tourist visa in 2015 and later sought asylum.
It remains unclear from the obtained documents how many visa holders seeking asylum would be affected by the impending revocations. In the last 18 months, the State Department has already revoked approximately 175,000 visas for various reasons, including criminal convictions and public dissent against U.S. policies.
The administration is also targeting “birth tourism,” a practice where pregnant foreign women visit the U.S. to give birth, claiming citizenship for their children. Efforts to end birthright citizenship have been rejected by courts, including the Supreme Court.
The State Department’s scrutiny of current B1 and B2 visa holders began following information received from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services regarding asylum requests.
