The Trump administration is planning to revoke up to 200,000 visas for foreigners who have applied for asylum in the U.S., according to State Department documents obtained by The Associated Press.
If the plans are carried out, it would be the largest single mass visa revocation in U.S. history and could face legal challenges.
In the coming weeks, the State Department is expected to announce the revocation of B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 whose holders have sought asylum or are currently seeking asylum. B1 and B2 visas are visas obtained for business or tourism purposes, respectively.
A visa revocation would not mean immediate deportation, U.S. officials told AP, but most immigrants with pending asylum cases would be recategorized and lose their status as business or tourism travelers.
“Through visa revocations and shutting down these networks, the Trump administration is sending a clear message: If you engage in the fraudulent scheme of birth tourism, there will be consequences,” said State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott on social media.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau criticized people who he said use B1 and B2 visas to enter the U.S. and later apply for asylum.
“People in the US and all over the world are fed up with bogus asylum claims,” Landau said in a post on social media.
“Asylum isn’t supposed to be a loophole to circumvent immigration laws; rather, it’s supposed to provide a narrow safe harbor for persons persecuted because of their ‘race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.’”
Visa revocation adds to growth of legal action against immigrants in the U.S.
Since President Donald Trump took office, the Department of State has revoked more than 175,000 visas from foreigners who “violated the terms of their visas, committed crimes, called for violence against U.S. citizens, defrauded Americans, abused our immigration system, or endangered national security,” the department said in a release.
The proposed measures to revoke B1 and B2 visas follow changes made to visas for international students studying in the U.S., which placed a four-year limit on student visas, with government approval required to extend it. The rule also placed regulations on how and when students can change their major or program.
The administration has also cracked down on “birth tourism,” in which foreigners travel to U.S. soil to give birth. This practice “undermines the integrity of the Nation’s immigration system” by allowing foreigners to “exploit” temporary admission, according to the executive order that limited the practice.
Current visa applicants are asked to prove they will be returning to their home countries and not applying for asylum.
The State Department will “continue to identify, investigate, and revoke the visas of foreign nationals who threaten the safety of the American people,” the department said in a recent release. “A U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right. The Department remains committed to using every tool available to protect our communities from those who abuse it.”