US President Donald Trump’s administration intends to cancel a large number of non-immigrant visas granted to foreigners who entered the United States on visitor or business visas, then applied for asylum or are currently seeking refugee status, in the latest step in the administration’s campaign to tighten immigration policies.
A US State Department spokesman said that the department is working in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security to identify visa holders who entered the country “claiming to be short-term visitors,” and then applied for asylum with the aim of remaining in the United States permanently, without specifying the number of visas that will be officially cancelled.
US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said, via the “X” platform, that the US immigration system “has long been mired in absurd asylum requests,” referring to the administration’s position on some asylum requests submitted after entering the country on visas not intended for permanent residence.
According to documents obtained by the Associated Press and statements by American officials, the number of targeted visas may reach about 200,000, most of which are business and tourist visas.
The measures include holders of “B1” and “B2” visas issued between 2016 and 2026, who have applied for asylum or intend to submit it, in a move that, if implemented on this scale, could become one of the largest mass visa cancellations in the history of the United States.
Canceling the visa does not necessarily mean that the person will be deported immediately, as the asylum application procedures may continue before the competent authorities, but the visa holder will lose his previous status that allowed him to enter or reside in the country for tourism or business purposes.
This step comes as part of a broader campaign implemented by the Trump administration to tighten control over the immigration system, and includes reviewing or canceling visas and procedures related to permanent residency cards, in addition to intensifying deportations.
During Trump’s current term, the US Department of State announced the cancellation of more than 175,000 visas for foreigners, as part of measures aimed at violating visa conditions or immigration laws, according to data reported by US media.
On the other hand, the new procedures sparked criticism from human rights groups who warned of their repercussions on asylum seekers, considering that expanding the cancellation of visas may raise issues related to legal procedures and the basic rights of the persons concerned.
Organizations also expressed concerns about the possibility of individuals from ethnic or national minorities being unequally affected by the measures, warning against expanding scrutiny based on nationality or personal background.
The move comes at a time when the US administration is re-reviewing a large number of immigration, residency and visa files, amid a clear tightening in the application of conditions for entry and stay, and increased scrutiny in cases in which a person’s status changes from a temporary visitor to an asylum seeker or long-term residency.
The final details of the process, including the exact number of visas that will be canceled and the timeline for implementation, are still not fully announced, while the procedures are expected to become clearer as the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security finish reviewing the targeted files.
