Trump Administration Set to Revoke Up to 200,000 Tourist and Business Visas for Asylum Seekers

The administration of US President Donald Trump has announced plans to revoke non-immigrant visas for foreign nationals who have applied for or are currently seeking asylum in the United States, a move experts describe as potentially the largest single mass revocation in US history.

According to State Department documents and US officials, the US Department of State will target B-1 and B-2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 for individuals who have previously sought asylum or are currently seeking it. These non-immigrant visas are originally issued for business and tourism travel.

State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott explained that the measure targets visitors who entered the United States claiming to be short-term travellers but subsequently filed for asylum to remain in the country permanently. While a specific total was not provided by Pigott, officials and documents cited by the Associated Press estimate that up to 200,000 people could face revocation.

This initiative forms part of a broader immigration crackdown during the second term of US President Donald Trump. His agenda has featured visa and green card revocations alongside aggressive deportation drives by federal agencies such as US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The administration has also attempted to restrict birthright citizenship through executive orders signed by the US President, though these policies have faced legal challenges from rights organisations in New Hampshire and rulings from the US Supreme Court and federal judges.

Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau defended the policy on X, stating that the administration is addressing bogus asylum claims and preventing tourist and business visas from being used as loopholes. Migration experts, including Rut Bermejo Casado of Rey Juan Carlos University in Madrid, note that while individuals would lose their temporary visitor status, their legal right to pursue an ongoing asylum application generally remains intact until adjudication.

While the State Department has not published a detailed breakdown by nationality, Homeland Security and Department of Justice data indicate that asylum seekers from nations such as Venezuela, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, China, Russia, Turkiye, and Egypt could be among those most affected by shifting US policies.