US to revoke visas of up to 200,000 asylum seekers

The US government plans to revoke the visas of foreigners who came to the country for tourism or business but sought to stay longer by applying for asylum, the State Department said Tuesday.

Why is the US revoking visas from asylum seekers?

The State Department says obtaining a visa to later seek asylum amounts to fraud, which is grounds for revocation. Officials are working with the Department of Homeland Security to identify travellers who entered as temporary visitors but applied for asylum in order to remain in the US permanently.

The crackdown marks another step in the Trump administration's signature drive to reduce immigration into the United States. "Obtaining a visa in order to seek asylum is fraud, which is grounds for visa revocation," State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement confirming press reports about the new policy.

How many people could be affected by the visa revocations?

The White House, in a post on X, suggested "up to two hundred thousand visas" would be affected and claimed it would be the "largest mass visa revocation in history." The State Department neither confirmed nor denied that number.

Pigott said the figure "remains dynamic and will be done on a rolling basis." Early this month the department said that since President Donald Trump returned to power in January 2025, some 175,000 foreigners had seen their US visas revoked, on grounds ranging from criminal offences, including driving under the influence, to praising the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.

Has the Trump administration targeted other visa holders?

The administration also recently revoked the visas of Mexican officials, including the son of former president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. This prompted a complaint from the current president, Claudia Sheinbaum.

Trump, who won re-election in large part on his promise to fight illegal immigration, has expelled huge numbers of people who were in the country without proper residence papers. He has also worked to restrict the entry of foreigners who do follow the rules and has gone after those who overstay their visas after they expire.

Has the US visa ban been challenged in court?

Some of these measures have been challenged and curtailed by the courts. Last Friday a federal judge struck down a government ban on visas to nationals from 75 countries who wish to settle in the country indefinitely, a list that included Afghanistan, Brazil, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, Thailand and Yemen.

What other immigration measures is the administration planning?

The Trump administration is also planning to expand vetting of the social media accounts of visa applicants. "We are making clear that a visa is a privilege, not a right," Pigott said Tuesday.