U.S. Moves to Strip Visas from Up to 200,000 Vulnerable Asylum Seekers, State Department Announces
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In a sweeping crackdown on migrants, the State Department revealed plans to identify and revoke nonimmigrant visas from foreign nationals who sought refuge in the U.S. after entering on short-term visitor visas. Critics warn this policy targets some of the most vulnerable, undermining basic human rights and due process.
The State Department, escalating its hardline stance on immigration, announced coordination with the Department of Homeland Security to track down foreign nationals who entered the United States on B-1 business or B-2 tourist visas and later sought asylum—a basic right under international law. The plan is to revoke these individuals' visas in a rolling process, with officials refusing to disclose the true scale of the operation, which could impact up to 200,000 people fleeing danger and persecution.
"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 said, echoing a narrative that criminalizes those seeking safety.
While the revocations won't lead to immediate deportations, affected individuals—many of whom are escaping violence or political repression—will lose their visitor status, increasing their vulnerability as their asylum cases drag on. This initiative is the latest in a series of draconian immigration measures rolled out since President Donald Trump began his second term, including invasive social-media surveillance, financial barriers for visa applicants, and discriminatory bans targeting citizens of specific countries.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau took to X to justify the crackdown, citing isolated incidents to paint asylum seekers as abusers of the system, such as a 2015 case involving a Colombian citizen. Now, B-1 and B-2 applicants must affirm they will not seek asylum and prove intent to return home, a requirement that undermines the very purpose of asylum protections.
In the past 18 months, the State Department has already revoked around 175,000 visas, not only for those convicted of crimes but also for individuals merely accused of wrongdoing or for exercising their right to criticize U.S. policies. Department documents reveal that the targeting of existing B-1 and B-2 visa holders began after receiving information from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services about asylum requests, raising concerns about privacy and the weaponization of immigration bureaucracy.