Trump's visa crackdown plan could affect thousands seeking asylum in the US

The Trump administration is preparing to revoke the business and tourism visas of up to 200,000 foreigners who have applied for or are currently seeking asylum status in the United States.

If it happens, the move would be the largest single mass revocation of visas in US history and would likely face legal challenges.

Unless challenged or revised, the US state department is expected to announce in the coming weeks the revocation of so-called B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 whose holders have sought asylum or are now seeking asylum, according to state department documents obtained by the Associated Press (AP) and two US officials. The action will be taken in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

"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.

He declined to comment on the number of visas that might be revoked, saying "as the process will be ongoing, the number of revocations remains dynamic and will be done on a rolling basis".

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

The revocations would not necessarily result in their immediate deportation, the officials said. Most of those with asylum cases currently pending would be recategorised but would lose their status as business or tourism travellers, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the revocations are not final yet.

Since US President Donald Trump took office for his second term last year, his administration has steadily ramped up restrictions on visa applicants — demanding more information about their social media histories, requiring the posting of expensive bonds to process visas, and outright banning the issuance of visas to citizens of certain countries.

In a social media post on Tuesday, US deputy secretary of state Christopher Landau called out people who he said try to use tourist and business visas to get into the US and then apply for asylum.

"People in the US and all over the world are fed up with bogus asylum claims," Landau said in a post on X. "Asylum isn’t supposed to be a loophole to circumvent immigration law."

Landau cited the case of a Colombian citizen who came to the US in 2015 on a tourist visa and then applied for asylum.

B1 visas are generally issued for business trips and B2 visas are generally issued for tourism, family visits or medical care.