Trump plans largest mass visa cancellation in history: Who will it affect?

Key Points:

• The Trump administration plans to revoke B-1 and B-2 business and tourist visas issued between 2016 and 2026 for foreigners who have applied for or are currently seeking asylum in the US, potentially affecting up to 200,000 people.
• This measure targets individuals who enter the US on short-term visitor visas but then file for asylum to stay permanently, reflecting the administration's broader crackdown on immigration and efforts to curb what it views as misuse of asylum protections.
• Revoking these visas does not terminate asylum claims but removes the individuals' non-immigrant status, making them reliant on their pending asylum cases to remain legally in the US; denied claims would leave them without legal status.
• The policy is seen as both a deterrent against post-entry asylum claims filed by temporary visa holders and a political statement, though it may face legal challenges concerning due process and administrative law.
• While the government has not disclosed detailed nationality data, those most likely affected are asylum seekers from Central and South America, China, Russia, Turkiye, and Egypt, though the impact varies depending on how asylum claims are made (visa overstays versus irregular border crossings).