The Trump administration is preparing to launch the largest mass visa revocation in U.S. history, rescinding roughly 200,000 non-immigrant visas for foreigners seeking or who have applied for asylum status in the U.S.
According to State Department documents, the agency is expected to announce a joint operation with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to rescind B-1 business and B-2 tourism visas issued between 2016 and 2026 whose holders have sought legal protections from individual persecution.
State Department Officials Affirm The Effort
“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 Piggot said. “These types of visas are issued with a clear understanding that they are for those who intend to return home.”
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau alleged that people all over the world, including the U.S., are “fed up with bogus asylum claims.”
Landau alleged that “the system has long been swamped by frivolous asylum claims,” citing a case of a Colombian national who “abused” the system.
According to U.S. Officials, the revocation would not arbitrarily result in visa holders’ immediate deportation. Rather, most of the asylum cases currently awaiting a decision would be recategorized and instead would lose their current traveler status.
Judge Strikes Down State Department's Immigration Policy
The State Department’s new effort comes a few days after a federal judge struck down its January 2026 directive to freeze immigration visa processing for nationals of 75 countries believed to require public assistance if admitted into the U.S.
U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas ruled that Secretary of State Marco Rubio exceeded his authority by issuing the policy, which “runs afoul” of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
“The Policy, which categorically prohibits the issuance of immigrant visas based upon the nationality of the applicant, represents a direct abrogation of this statutory scheme,” Judge Vargas wrote.
