Trump Administration Plans Mass Visa Revocation for 200,000 Asylum Seekers

The State Department has begun its review process to target the visas of up to 200,000 foreign citizens applying for asylum, with cancellations potentially occurring in waves.

The Trump administration plans to revoke the non-immigrant visas of foreigners who have applied for or are currently seeking asylum in the United States. The State Department is expected to announce the action within weeks. This move would cover B1 business and B2 tourism visas issued between 2016 and 2026 to holders who later sought asylum.

Any revocation would be carried out by the Department of Homeland Security. Applicants for B1 and B2 visas are asked to affirm they will not seek asylum once they arrive and to show intent to return home. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said the department is coordinating with DHS to identify foreigners who enter on short-term visas and then file for asylum to stay permanently.

Pigott declined to give a specific number, stating, "The number of revocations remains dynamic and will be done on a rolling basis." Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau wrote on X that the asylum system has been swamped for years by claims that never met the legal standard. Landau stated that asylum is not meant to be a loophole to circumvent immigration laws and that backlogged claims take years to adjudicate, during which applicants can work legally.

The department has revoked more than 175,000 visas since the start of last year, mostly tied to criminal arrests. This potential action would be the largest single mass revocation of visas in US history and would likely face legal challenges. Revoking the visas would not necessarily result in immediate deportation; most with pending asylum cases would be recategorized but lose their status as business or tourism travelers.