Trump administration to revoke up to 200,000 tourist and business visas linked to asylum claims
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The State Department announced a plan to cancel B-1 and B-2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 for holders who have applied for asylum, a move that could affect as many as 200,000 people.
The U.S. State Department said it will revoke B-1 (business) and B-2 (tourist) visas issued from 2016 to 2026 for individuals who have filed or are filing asylum claims after entering the country. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott described the action as targeting "foreigners who have come to the United States claiming to be short-term visitors, but then file for asylum to stay here permanently." Estimates from internal documents and officials suggest up to 200,000 visas could be affected.
The policy is part of a broader immigration crackdown pursued by the Trump administration, which has also pursued visa and green-card revocations, expanded deportation operations and sought to limit birthright citizenship. Unlike a recent revocation of more than 175,000 visas for alleged security concerns, this measure does not rely on criminal allegations.
Migration scholar Rut Bermejo Casado explained that canceling a non-immigrant visa does not automatically terminate an asylum application. Applicants would lose their temporary visitor status but could remain in the United States while their asylum cases are adjudicated. If a claim is denied, the individuals would have no remaining visa basis for stay, potentially leading to removal proceedings. She added that the revocation could prompt legal challenges over due-process rights and may serve as a deterrent to future asylum filings by visa holders.
The State Department has not released data on the nationalities of those likely to be impacted. Based on recent asylum statistics, the most common countries of origin for successful claims include Venezuela, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, China, Russia, Turkey and Egypt, while applicants from Haiti, India, Cuba and Mexico have faced higher denial rates. The actual effect will depend on how many asylum seekers originally entered on B-1 or B-2 visas from these and other countries.