US Could Revoke Up to 200,000 Tourist and Business Visas, Officials Say
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
The United States is preparing to revoke the business and tourist visas of up to 200,000 individuals who have applied for asylum in the country. If implemented, this would mark the largest visa revocation in U.S. history and is likely to face legal challenges. The State Department is expected to announce the revocation of the so-called B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026, held by those who have sought asylum, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press and two federal officials. The action will be coordinated with the Department of Homeland Security. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott stated, 'We are coordinating with the Department of Homeland Security to identify and revoke the non-immigrant visas of foreigners who have come to the U.S. claiming to be short-term visitors but then apply for asylum to stay here permanently.' Pigott declined to comment on how many visas might be revoked, noting that 'as the process is ongoing, the number of revocations remains dynamic and will occur gradually.' Officials indicated that the revocations would not necessarily lead to immediate deportation. Most individuals with pending asylum cases would be reclassified but would lose their status as business or tourist travelers, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because the revocations are not yet final. The U.S. government has steadily increased restrictions for visa applicants since President Donald Trump took office for a second term last year, requiring more information about their social media histories, imposing costly bonds for visa processing, and directly prohibiting visa issuance to citizens of certain countries. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau criticized on social media on Monday those he claimed are attempting to use tourist and business visas to enter the U.S. and then seek asylum. 'People in the U.S. and around the world are fed up with false asylum claims,' Landau wrote on X. 'Asylum should not be a loophole to evade immigration law.' Landau cited the case of a Colombian citizen who arrived in the U.S. in 2015 on a tourist visa and later applied for asylum. B1 visas are generally issued for business travel, while B2 visas are typically issued for tourism, family visits, or medical care. It was not immediately clear how many of these visa holders are currently seeking or have sought asylum in the U.S. and would be affected by the revocations. Current applicants for B1 and B2 visas are being asked to confirm that they will not seek asylum in the U.S. and to demonstrate their intention to return to their home countries. In the past 18 months, the State Department has revoked approximately 175,000 visas from individuals convicted or charged with crimes ranging from driving under the influence to rape and robbery, as well as from those who have publicly spoken out against U.S. policies, particularly in the Middle East. The U.S. has also taken steps to tighten controls against so-called 'birth tourism,' a practice that it claims is used by pregnant foreign women to travel to the U.S. to give birth, so their child obtains U.S. citizenship by birth. Trump has attempted several times to end birthright citizenship, but those attempts have been rejected by the courts, including the Supreme Court.
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
