The Trump administration is reportedly readying to revoke the business and tourism visas of as many as 200,000 foreigners in what could be the largest single mass revocation of visas in US history.
The revocations will target the holders of B1 and B2 visas, issued between 2016 and 2026, who have sought or are currently seeking asylum, the Associated Press reported on Monday, citing State Department documents and US officials.
B1 visas are generally issued for business travelers, while B2 visas are typically given to tourists or foreigners visiting for family or traveling to receive medical care in the US.
The State Department is expected to formally announce the revocations, which will be coordinated with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in the “coming weeks.”
“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,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott told the outlet.
Pigott declined to comment on the number of visas that might be revoked, describing the process as “ongoing,” “dynamic,” and one that will be done “on a rolling basis.”
Those who have their visas revoked will not necessarily be deported right away, US officials indicated, but they would immediately lose their status as business or tourism travelers.
The move, which is expected to face legal challenges, would be President Trump’s latest to tighten the US visa process.
The Trump administration has previously moved to investigate applicants’ social media histories, require bonds for the processing of visas and banned the issuance of visas to citizens of certain countries.
Since the start of Trump’s second term, the State Department has revoked about 175,000 visas for people convicted or accused of criminal activity or who have spoken out publicly against US policies.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau on Monday charged that foreign nationals have been using tourist and business visas as a way to get into the US to then apply for asylum, in an effort to remain in the country indefinitely.
“People in the US and all over the world are fed up with bogus asylum claims,” Landau wrote on X. “Asylum isn’t supposed to be a loophole to circumvent immigration law.”
B1 and B2 visa applicants must affirm that they will not apply for asylum while in the US and prove that they intend to return to their home countries under the current process.
The potential revocations also come after the Supreme Court ruled in June that the Trump administration cannot end birthright citizenship via executive order.
Since the ruling, the Trump administration has moved to crack down on so-called birth tourism.
Administration officials contend that foreign pregnant women have been obtaining tourist visas for the sole purpose of giving birth in the US so their children can obtain the benefits of birthright citizenship.
