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The Donald Trump administration is planning to cancel the non-immigrant or temporary visas of foreign nationals seeking asylum in the United States as part of its broader crackdown on immigration.
A spokesperson for the US State Department said on Monday that foreign nationals who entered the United States on short-term visas but later applied for asylum to remain permanently in the country would be identified and have their visas revoked. The State Department has begun working with the Department of Homeland Security on the initiative.
The State Department did not disclose the exact number of visas that would be canceled. However, according to an Associated Press (AP) report, the move could affect the business and tourist visas of around 200,000 foreign nationals. If implemented on that scale, it would represent the largest mass visa cancellation in US history.
Citing State Department documents and two US officials, AP reported that all B-1 business and B-2 tourist visas issued between 2016 and 2026 could be subject to the review.
However, cancellation of a visa would not automatically mean that the individual would be immediately deported from the United States. Most people whose asylum applications are currently pending could have their immigration status converted to a new category. However, they would lose their temporary visas that allow them to enter the country for business or tourism.
In a post on X on Monday, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau accused the country’s immigration system of being overwhelmed by “baseless or fraudulent asylum claims.”
Earlier this month, the US State Department said that more than 175,000 foreign nationals had already had their visas revoked under the Trump administration.
The Trump administration has launched an extensive crackdown on illegal immigration across the United States. As part of the campaign, authorities have intensified efforts to revoke visas and green cards and accelerate the deportation of foreign nationals to their home countries. The administration says the measures are necessary to strengthen national security.
Human rights organizations, however, have criticized the crackdown, arguing that it has undermined freedom of expression and due process. They have also warned that ethnic minorities are facing discrimination and heightened insecurity as a result of the measures. Source Reuters.
