The Trump administration is preparing to revoke business and tourism visas for up to 200,000 people who have applied for asylum in the United States or are seeking asylum there, the Associated Press reported. The measure would target non-immigrant visas held by foreign nationals who entered on short-term visas and later sought asylum to remain in the country, potentially marking the largest mass visa revocation of its kind. The State Department is expected to announce the action, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to revoke B1 and B2 visas issued since 2016, according to two US officials and department documents seen by the AP. State Department Plans Rolling RevocationsState Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the department was working with DHS to identify and revoke visas held by foreigners who “came to the United States claiming to be short-term visitors, but then file for asylum to stay here permanently”. Pigott declined to give a specific total, adding that the number of revocations would be “dynamic” and carried out on a rolling basis. Under the approach described by officials, the visa revocations are linked to asylum applications filed after the person received a B1 or B2 visa, covering those seeking asylum while in the US under the business or tourism categories. Revocations Not Immediate DeportationsThe officials told the AP that removing the visas would not lead to immediate deportation. They said pending asylum cases would be recategorised so they would no longer be treated as claims from people admitted as business or tourism travellers. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau wrote on social media that “people in the U.S. and all over the world are fed up with bogus asylum claims”. He said asylum was not intended to serve as a “loophole” to bypass immigration rules, describing it as a narrow protection for people facing persecution based on specific grounds. Landau also said the asylum system has been “swamped” by claims that take years to process, during which time applicants typically are able to work and have families while their cases are adjudicated. Requirements for Current Visa ApplicantsThe AP reported that people applying for B1 and B2 visas are being asked to confirm they will not seek asylum in the United States and to show they plan to return to their home countries. The State Department’s planned action follows earlier steps by the Trump administration to restrict asylum-related pathways since the president returned to the White House last year. Past Visa Revocations and Asylum Access ChangesSince then, the State Department has revoked about 175,000 visas for people convicted or accused of various crimes, as well as for those who have spoken out against US policies in the Middle East, according to the report. Last month, the administration also began limiting asylum seekers’ access to interviews that were intended to assess their claims. Instead, officers were directed to route migrants into immigration court proceedings for deportation cases, according to the AP. The report said that process could move people through the court system without an opportunity to present their arguments to US Citizenship and Immigration Services. Join the discussion? 25 August 2026
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