US to revoke up to 200,000 visas of asylum seekers
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The State Department plans to cancel B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 for foreign nationals who have filed asylum claims, potentially affecting as many as 200,000 people.
The State Department announced that it will begin revoking business (B1) and tourism (B2) visas issued over the past decade for foreign nationals who have applied for asylum after entering the United States. The move could affect up to 200,000 visas, according to documents cited by the Associated Press.
"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 spokesperson Tommy Pigott said.
The revocations are expected to be carried out on a rolling basis and will not automatically trigger deportation; most affected individuals are likely to be re-classified, losing their visitor-status designation while their asylum cases proceed.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau criticized the practice of using tourist and business visas to seek asylum, writing on the social media platform X that "asylum isn’t supposed to be a loophole to circumvent immigration law."
The policy follows a series of immigration restrictions implemented during the current administration, including tighter visa vetting, higher bond requirements and bans on visas for citizens of certain countries. Rights groups have raised concerns that the crackdown may infringe on due-process rights and increase profiling of ethnic minorities, while officials argue it is intended to protect domestic security.