The State Department is preparing what would be the largest mass visa revocation in US history, planning to cancel the business and tourism visas of up to 200,000 foreigners who have applied for or are currently seeking asylum, according to State Department documents obtained by the Associated Press.
What's being targeted
The revocations would apply to so-called B1 and B2 visas, issued to short-term business and tourism visitors, granted between 2016 and 2026 to people whose holders later filed for asylum. The action is expected to be announced in the coming weeks and carried out in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security on a rolling basis, with the exact number of people affected described by officials as "dynamic."
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.
Tommy Pigott, State Department spokesman
What it would and wouldn't do
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau framed the move as closing a loophole, saying, "Asylum isn't supposed to be a loophole to circumvent immigration law." Officials say the revocations would not necessarily lead to immediate deportation; most people with pending asylum cases would instead be recategorized and lose their status as short-term business or tourism travelers rather than being removed outright. The action is expected to face legal challenges, though specific anticipated lawsuits have not yet been detailed.
