KABUL (Pajhwok): The Trump administration has announced plans to revoke the non-immigrant visas of foreign nationals who applied for asylum after entering the United States or whose asylum applications are still pending.
The US Department of State said it would work with the Department of Homeland Security to identify and revoke the visas of people who entered the country for short-term stays but later sought asylum to remain in the United States, Reuters reported.
The State Department did not specify how many visas would be revoked under the measure.
However, the Associated Press reported, citing State Department documents and two US officials, that the business and tourist visas of up to 200,000 foreign nationals could be affected. If implemented at that scale, the measure would represent the largest mass visa revocation in US history.
According to the AP, the State Department plans to revoke B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 to holders who have sought or are currently seeking asylum.
B1 and B2 are non-immigrant visas issued primarily for business and tourism travel.
Revoking these visas would not necessarily result in the immediate deportation of those affected. People with pending asylum applications could remain in the United States under another immigration status, but their business or tourist visa status would be revoked.
US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said in a post on X on Monday that the country’s immigration system had long faced what he described as “baseless” asylum applications.
The State Department also announced earlier this month that more than 175,000 visas held by foreign nationals had been revoked during the Trump administration.
Since returning to office, President Donald Trump has pursued stricter immigration policies, including visa and green-card revocations and increased deportations. He has said the measures are intended to strengthen US domestic security.
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