The administration of Donald Trump is preparing to revoke the business and tourism visas of up to 200,000 foreigners who have applied for or are seeking asylum in the United States, according to documents obtained by the Associated Press and two US government officials, Brazil's G1 reported on Monday (24). If adopted, the measure would be the largest mass visa revocation in US history and is expected to face challenges in court.
The State Department is set to announce in the coming weeks the revocation of so-called B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026. The B1 is normally granted for business trips, while the B2 covers tourism, family visits and medical treatment. The operation will be carried out in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
"We are working with DHS to identify and revoke the nonimmigrant visas of foreign nationals who entered the United States saying they would be short-term visitors but then applied for asylum to remain in the country permanently," said State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott. He did not say how many visas could be revoked and noted that the number may still change, since the process will be carried out gradually.
According to the officials heard by the AP, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the revocations have not been finalized, losing the visa does not mean immediate deportation. Most people with pending asylum claims are expected to have their immigration status changed but will lose their business or tourism visitor status. The documents do not clarify how many current B1 and B2 holders would be affected. Applicants for these visas must declare that they do not intend to seek asylum in the United States and show that they plan to return to their home country.
A broader immigration crackdown
On Monday, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau criticized, in a post on X, people who use tourism or business visas to enter the United States and then request asylum. "There are people in the US and around the world tired of fraudulent asylum claims. Asylum should not be a loophole to get around immigration laws," Landau wrote, citing the case of a Colombian citizen who entered the country in 2015 on a tourist visa and later applied for asylum.
Since the start of Trump's second term, the US government has tightened visa rules, requiring more information about applicants' social media history, charging high processing deposits and suspending visa issuance for citizens of certain countries. Over the past 18 months, the State Department has revoked about 175,000 visas held by people convicted or accused of crimes and by foreigners who made public statements against US policies. The administration has also stepped up action against so-called "birth tourism", while Trump's attempts to end birthright citizenship have been blocked by the courts, including the Supreme Court.