US set for largest mass visa revocation in history
The Trump administration is set to revoke up to 200,000 foreign business and tourism visas belonging to those who have sought asylum in the United States, marking the largest mass revocation of visas in U.S. history. These individuals hold B1 and B2 visas, issued between 2016 and 2026, and are currently in the process of seeking asylum or have already done so.
The action, which will be coordinated with the Department of Homeland Security, is expected to be announced in the coming weeks, according to State Department documents provided to The Associated Press and two U.S. officials. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott confirmed that the revocations are part of an ongoing effort to identify and revoke the nonimmigrant visas of foreigners who enter the U.S. as tourists but later apply for asylum, with the ultimate goal of preventing them from gaining permanent residency.
While most affected individuals would likely retain their asylum cases but lose their visa status as business or tourism travelers, the revocations could still face legal challenges. The administration has been aggressively tightening visa restrictions under President Donald Trump's second term, with a focus on demanding more information about applicants' social media histories, requiring expensive bonds for visa processing, and outright banning the issuance of visas to citizens of specific countries.
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