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The Trump administration is reportedly preparing to revoke business and tourist visas held by as many as 200,000 foreigners who have applied for asylum in the U.S.
The State Department is expected to announce the sweeping action in the coming weeks, The Associated Press reported, citing internal documents and two U.S. officials.
The effort would target B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 to foreigners who later sought asylum. If carried out, the move would mark the largest mass visa revocation in U.S. history and could face legal challenges, according to the outlet.
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The State Department is reportedly expected to announce the sweeping action in the coming weeks. (Li Rui/Xinhua via Getty Images)
“We are coordinating with DHS to identify and revoke the nonimmigrant 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,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement.
Pigott did not confirm how many people could be affected, saying the revocations would occur on a “rolling basis” and the total remained “dynamic,” according to the AP.
The move would not automatically lead to immediate deportations.
Foreigners with pending asylum cases would generally be reclassified but would lose their status as business or tourist travelers, officials told the AP.
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks Aug. 6 during a roundtable at the State Department in Washington, D.C. If carried out, the move would reportedly mark the largest mass visa revocation in U.S. history. (Eric Lee/Getty Images)
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said Monday that asylum should not be used to bypass immigration laws.
“People in the US and all over the world are fed up with bogus asylum claims,” Landau wrote on X. “Asylum isn’t supposed to be a loophole to circumvent immigration law.”
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Christopher Landau speaks during a panel discussion in February at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Fla. Landau said Monday that asylum should not be used to bypass immigration laws. (Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
B1 visas are typically issued for business travel, while B2 visas cover tourism, family visits and medical care. Currently, applicants must demonstrate that they plan to return to their home countries.
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The potential revocations come as the Trump administration cracks down on what it considers abuse of the immigration system. The State Department has revoked roughly 175,000 visas over the past 18 months, according to The Associated Press.
The State Department could not immediately be reached by Fox News Digital for comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.