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The Trump administration is preparing to cancel business and tourist visas held by approximately 200,000 foreign nationals who subsequently filed for asylum, according to internal State Department documents and officials briefed on the plan. The announcement is expected within the coming weeks, marking what would constitute the largest mass visa revocation event in American history. Legal challenges to the initiative appear likely given its unprecedented scale and scope.
The targeted visas consist of B1 and B2 classifications granted between 2016 and 2026 to individuals who later pursued asylum claims. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott characterized the effort as part of a broader coordination with the Department of Homeland Security to identify and invalidate nonimmigrant visas for foreign nationals who entered as temporary visitors but subsequently sought permanent residency through asylum petitions.
The revocations would not automatically trigger immediate deportation proceedings, according to State Department officials. Foreigners with pending asylum cases would experience reclassification while losing their status as business or tourist visitors, though their legal standing during the asylum process would technically remain under review.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau defended the measure on social media Monday, arguing that asylum protections should not function as mechanisms to circumvent immigration statutes. The action reflects the broader Trump administration emphasis on restricting what officials characterize as fraudulent asylum claims and system exploitation.
Officials indicated that actual revocation numbers would unfold gradually rather than simultaneously, with Pigott noting the total affected population remained subject to change. Over the past 18 months, the State Department has already revoked approximately 175,000 visas as part of its escalating immigration enforcement posture.
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