The Trump administration is preparing a sweeping new immigration measure that could result in the revocation of business and tourist visas held by as many as 200,000 foreigners who have applied for asylum or are currently seeking asylum in the United States.
If carried out on that scale, the move could become the largest single mass visa revocation in U.S. history.
According to Reuters, the State Department said it is working with the Department of Homeland Security to identify foreign nationals who entered the United States as temporary visitors but later filed applications for asylum.
The measure would primarily involve B1 and B2 non-immigrant visas. B1 visas are generally used for temporary business travel, while B2 visas are commonly issued for tourism and visits to the United States.
The Associated Press, citing State Department documents and two U.S. officials, reported that up to 200,000 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 could ultimately be affected.
The State Department itself has not publicly confirmed a final number and has indicated that the process would be carried out on a rolling basis, meaning the total could change as cases are reviewed.
Why Would the Visas Be Revoked?
The administration’s position is that B1 and B2 visas are granted to people who tell U.S. authorities that they intend to visit the country temporarily and then leave.
A State Department spokesperson said the government is seeking to identify people who entered the United States claiming to be short-term visitors but later applied for asylum in order to remain permanently.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau also criticized what he described as abuse of the asylum system, arguing that some people are using temporary visas as a way to enter the country before filing asylum claims.
However, applying for asylum after entering the United States is not, by itself, the same thing as entering the country illegally.
Under U.S. immigration law, asylum is a separate legal process through which a person can request protection because they say they face persecution or serious danger if returned to their home country.
That distinction is important in understanding what the proposed visa revocations would actually mean.
Losing a Visa Does Not Automatically Mean Immediate Deportation
Revocation of a tourist or business visa would not necessarily mean that a person would immediately be removed from the United States.
People whose asylum cases are still pending could lose their classification as business or tourism visitors while their asylum proceedings continue separately.
In other words, the visa that originally allowed them to enter the United States and the asylum case they later filed are two different legal matters.
Those affected could therefore find themselves in a much more complicated immigration position without automatically losing the right to have their asylum claims considered.
The precise consequences would depend on each person’s immigration status and circumstances.
Visas Issued Over a Ten-Year Period Could Be Reviewed
According to the AP report cited by Reuters, the State Department is considering B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026.
The revocations are expected to be coordinated with the Department of Homeland Security.
Officials said the number remains fluid because the review is continuing and the revocations have not yet been finalized.
If the figure reaches approximately 200,000, the action would represent an unprecedented mass cancellation of U.S. visas.
Part of a Much Broader Immigration Crackdown
The planned action comes as the Trump administration continues to tighten both illegal and legal immigration policies.
Since President Donald Trump returned to office, his administration has expanded visa screening, introduced additional requirements for some applicants, increased scrutiny of social media histories and pursued more aggressive visa and immigration enforcement.
Earlier this month, the State Department said that more than 175,000 visas had already been revoked under the Trump administration for a range of reasons.
The new asylum-related measure would be separate from many of those earlier revocations and could significantly increase the overall number.
The administration says its immigration policies are intended to strengthen enforcement, prevent abuse of the immigration system and improve domestic security.
Immigration and civil rights organizations, meanwhile, have criticized a number of the administration’s measures, raising concerns about due process and the rights of immigrants.
Legal challenges are also likely if the proposed mass revocation proceeds.
Why This Matters
The scale of the proposal makes it significant even beyond the people directly affected.
Up to 200,000 individuals could potentially lose the visas under which they originally entered the country, while continuing to navigate an already complex asylum system.
The impact could be felt particularly strongly in states with large immigrant populations, including New Jersey, where immigrant communities make up a substantial part of the state’s population.
For now, the plan is still developing. The State Department has not announced a final total, and officials have said the number of visa revocations will depend on the ongoing review.
But if the administration proceeds with revoking visas on the scale reported, the United States could be preparing for the largest single mass visa revocation in its history.
Source: Reuters, Associated Press
By NJ RADAR Team