U.S. plans to revoke visas of asylum seekers
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday it plans to revoke non-immigrant visas issued to foreigners who applied for or are currently seeking asylum in the United States, expanding its sweeping immigration crackdown.
A State Department spokesperson said the department was coordinating with the Department of Homeland Security to identify visa holders who entered the United States as short-term visitors but later sought asylum to remain in the country.
The State Department did not specify how many visas would be affected.
However, the Associated Press, citing State Department documents and two U.S. officials, reported that up to 200,000 business and tourist visas could be revoked, potentially making it the largest single mass visa revocation in U.S. history.
The measure would target B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 to holders who have sought or are currently seeking asylum. The visas are generally issued for business and tourism travel.
According to the AP, the revocations would not necessarily result in immediate deportation. Most visa holders with pending asylum applications would instead be reclassified and lose their status as business or tourist visitors.
Earlier on Monday, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said on X that the U.S. immigration system had long been overwhelmed by what he described as “frivolous asylum claims.”
The State Department said earlier this month that the Trump administration had already revoked more than 175,000 visas issued to foreign nationals.
Trump has pursued a broad immigration crackdown, including visa and green card revocations and an expanded deportation campaign, arguing that the measures are necessary to strengthen domestic security.
Rights groups, however, have criticized the policies, saying they undermine due process and civil liberties and could disproportionately affect ethnic minorities.
The latest move further extends the administration’s efforts to tighten both illegal and legal immigration, despite ongoing legal challenges to several of its policies.