The Trump administration is planning to revoke the visas of up to 200,000 asylum seekers in the US, marking what could be the largest mass visa revocation in US history. The move would target B-1 and B-2 business and tourist visas issued between 2016 and 2026, whose holders have applied for or are currently seeking asylum. The US State Department is expected to announce the plan within the coming weeks and is working in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In a statement, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the administration is "making clear that a visa is a privilege, not a right." According to Pigott, the State Department is currently reviewing the visas of foreign citizens who came to the US "claiming to be short-term visitors" and are now seeking asylum. This comes after Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau wrote in a recent X post that "People in the US and all over the world are fed up with bogus asylum claims." Speaking with AP News, two US officials stated that the visa revocations would not automatically trigger deportations. According to the officials, those with pending asylum claims will be shifted into a different immigration category and stripped of their business or tourist status while their cases proceed.
