US plans to revoke 200,000 visas of asylum seekers

Donald Trump’s administration said on Monday it planned to revoke the non-immigrant visas of foreigners who have applied for or are currently seeking asylum status in the US, marking its latest step in a sweeping immigration crackdown.

A state department spokesperson said it was coordinating with the Department of Homeland Security “to identify and revoke the non-immigrant 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”.

The state department did not specify the number of visas that will be revoked in the process.

The Associated Press put the number of foreigners whose business and tourism visas are planned to be revoked at up to 200,000, which if materialized, would be the largest single mass revocation of visas in US history. The AP cited state department documents and two US officials.

The state department will revoke so-called B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 whose holders have sought or are now seeking asylum, the AP report added. The B1 and B2 non-immigrant visas are issued for business and tourism travel.

The visa revocations would not necessarily result in immediate deportation, the AP report said, adding that most of those with asylum cases currently pending would be re-categorized but would lose their status as business or tourism travelers.

Earlier on Monday, US deputy secretary of state Christopher Landau alleged on X that the American immigration system “has long been swamped by frivolous asylum claims”.

The state department said earlier this month that under the Trump administration, it has revoked more than 175,000 visas of foreign nationals.

The US president has pursued an immigration crackdown that includes revocations of visas and green cards and an aggressive deportation drive. He says the crackdown aims to improve domestic security.

Rights groups say the crackdown has violated free speech and due process rights and ?created an unsafe environment, particularly for ethnic minorities, who have raised concerns about racial profiling.

While Trump campaigned in 2024 on a platform of stopping illegal immigration, his administration has also made legal immigration more difficult – for example, ?by imposing new and expensive fees for applicants for certain work visas. The government’s crackdown has faced legal challenges.