The Trump administration is preparing to cancel as many as 200,000 business and tourism visas belonging to foreigners who have sought asylum in the United States, in what would be the largest single mass visa revocation in U.S. history.
The State Department is expected to announce the decision in the coming weeks, targeting B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 whose holders filed for asylum after entering on short-term visitor status. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said the action is coordinated with the Department of Homeland Security. Officials said the revocations would not necessarily lead to immediate deportation.
Since Trump began his second term last year, the administration has revoked more than 175,000 visas — roughly quadruple the pace of the final year of the Biden administration — targeting individuals convicted or accused of crimes or who publicly opposed U.S. policies. Last week, a federal judge struck down a separate policy that had suspended visa processing for nationals from 75 countries.