Trump wants to revoke 200,000 visas from asylum seekers

The proposed measure is the latest in the immigration crackdown by the Trump administration, which has expanded beyond undocumented migrants to include people who entered the US legally and those seeking to maintain lawful immigration status.

A State Department spokesperson said on Monday that the department was working with the Department of Homeland Security to identify foreign nationals who entered the US claiming to be short-term visitors but subsequently filed asylum claims with the intention of remaining in the country permanently.

The spokesperson said the two agencies were coordinating efforts to identify and revoke the non-immigrant visas of such individuals.

The State Department, however, did not disclose the number of visas that could be affected by the proposed policy.

But the Associated Press reported that as many as 200,000 holders of US business and tourism visas could potentially be affected, citing State Department documents and two US officials familiar with the matter.

If implemented on that scale, the proposed action could become the largest single mass revocation of US visas in the country’s history.

According to the AP report, the State Department is considering the revocation of B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 to foreign nationals who have sought or are currently seeking asylum in the United States.

B1 visas are generally issued to foreign nationals travelling to the US temporarily for business-related activities, while B2 visas are primarily intended for tourism, medical treatment and other short-term visits.

The proposed policy would not, however, automatically translate into immediate deportation for everyone affected.

The AP reported that individuals with pending asylum cases could be placed in a different immigration category while losing their status as business or tourism visitors.

The development comes amid intensified efforts by the Trump administration to tighten the US immigration system and reduce what it describes as abuse of existing immigration pathways.

Christopher Landau, US Deputy Secretary of State, in a post on X on Monday, alleged that the country’s immigration system had for years been overwhelmed by what he described as frivolous asylum applications.

The State Department had earlier disclosed that the administration had revoked more than 175,000 visas belonging to foreign nationals.

 Trump has pursued an immigration agenda that has included expanded deportation operations, visa cancellations, restrictions affecting green-card holders and tighter scrutiny of foreign nationals seeking entry or continued residence in the country.

The administration has argued that the measures are necessary to strengthen national security, protect American interests and ensure that US immigration laws are enforced.

Although Trump reduced illegal immigration a central promise of his 2024 presidential campaign, his administration has introduced several measures affecting legal immigration as well.