U.S. prepares to revoke up to 200,000 business and tourism visas from asylum seekers

The Trump administration is preparing to revoke business and tourism visas from as many as 200,000 foreigners who have applied for or are seeking asylum in the United States, in what would be the largest single mass visa revocation on record and would likely face legal challenges. Unless challenged or revised, the State Department is expected to announce the step within the coming weeks in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, targeting B-1 and B-2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026. Officials said the revocations would not automatically trigger deportations and that most people with pending asylum cases would be shifted into a different immigration category, stripping their business or tourist designation while their claims proceed. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said authorities are identifying nonimmigrant visa holders who entered as short-term visitors and then filed for asylum to remain permanently. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau argued that asylum is not meant as a loophole around immigration law and that people are fed up with bogus claims. The push follows broader tightening since President Trump returned to office, including demands for more social-media history, costly visa-processing bonds, bans on nationals of certain countries, and about 175,000 earlier visa revocations over the past 18 months.