- The Trump administration has prepared to revoke business and tourism visas for up to 200,000 asylum seekers
- B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 have been targeted for revocation
- The State Department and Homeland Security have coordinated on identifying affected visa holders
- Revocations would not automatically result in immediate deportation for pending asylum cases
- In the past 18 months, 175,000 visas have been revoked for criminal convictions and policy opposition
The Trump administration has revealed its plans to revoke business and tourism visas for up to 200,000 foreigners who have applied for or currently seek asylum status in the United States, representing the largest single mass visa revocation in US history.
The US State Department is coordinating with the Department of Homeland Security to identify and revoke B1 business and B2 tourism visas issued between 2016 and 2026 whose holders have sought asylum or are now seeking asylum. State Department documents obtained by The Associated Press and two US officials have confirmed the forthcoming announcement unless legal challenges or revisions intervene. The revocations would not necessarily result in immediate deportation, with most pending asylum cases being recategorised while losing business or tourism traveller status.
The administration has ramped up restrictions on visa applicants during the second term, demanding social media histories, requiring expensive bonds for visa processing and banning visa issuance to citizens of certain countries. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau has called out individuals attempting to use tourist and business visas for asylum applications, citing the case of a Colombian citizen who arrived on a tourist visa in 2015 and applied for asylum. In the past 18 months, the State Department has revoked about 175,000 visas for people convicted or accused of crimes and for individuals speaking out against US policies.
The US State Department shared: “We are coordinating with DHS to identify and revoke the non-immigrant visas of foreigners who have come to the United States claiming to be short-term visitors, but then file for asylum to stay here permanently. As the process will be ongoing, the number of revocations remains dynamic and will be done on a rolling basis. People in the US and all over the world are fed up with bogus asylum claims, asylum isn’t supposed to be a loophole to circumvent immigration law.”
Dublin Festival of History shared: “The Dublin Festival of History reminds us that history is not something that exists only in books or museums – it is all around us, in our streets, our neighbourhoods and our communities. I am particularly pleased that this year’s Big Weekend is bringing events directly into communities across the city, giving Dubliners even more opportunities to discover the people and stories that have shaped the place in which we live. Public libraries are places where people can explore ideas, discover stories and deepen their understanding of the world around them, and the Dublin Festival of History is a wonderful expression of that role”
