A spokesperson for the US State Department said the department was working with the Department of Homeland Security to identify and revoke the visas of foreign nationals who entered the country as short-term visitors before seeking asylum to remain in the US permanently.
Although the department did not disclose the number of visas that could be affected, the Associated Press, citing State Department documents and two US officials, reported that as many as 200,000 holders of B1 and B2 business and tourism visas could be impacted.
If implemented on that scale, the move would represent the largest mass revocation of US visas in history. The State Department is reportedly targeting B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 to individuals who have filed or are currently seeking asylum.
The planned revocations would not automatically result in immediate deportation. According to AP, people with pending asylum applications would largely have their immigration status reclassified, although they would lose their status as business or tourism visitors.
US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau had previously criticised the country’s immigration system, alleging that it had been overwhelmed by what he described as “frivolous asylum claims.”
The State Department also disclosed that the Trump administration had already revoked more than 175,000 visas belonging to foreign nationals.
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