Trump administration to revoke up to 200,000 visas of asylum seekers

Rebecca Falconer

Close-up of former U.S. President Donald Trump speaking into a microphone, wearing a navy suit and red tie, with a man beside him and blurred flags in the background. — President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the US Department of State in Washington, D.C., earlier this month. Photo: Kent Nishimura/AFP via Getty Images

The Trump administration plans to revoke up to 200,000 business and tourism visas held by people who've sought asylum in the U.S., AP first reported on Monday.

Why it matters: It would be the largest mass visa revocation in U.S. history and would likely trigger legal challenges.

What they're saying: "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 told AP.

He wouldn't say how many visas might be revoked, adding, "as the process will be ongoing, the number of revocations remains dynamic and will be done on a rolling basis."
Representatives for the State Department and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.

The big picture: President Trump has made immigration enforcement a key priority during his second administration, aggressively cracking down on undocumented immigrants and revoking visas over issues ranging from pro-Palestinian activism to comments about Charlie Kirk's killing.

Last year, the administration began "continuous vetting" of more than 55 million U.S. visa holders for potential violations that could lead to revocation or deportation.

Editor's note: This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

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Trump administration to revoke up to 200,000 visas of asylum seekers

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