US State Department looking to revoke hundreds of thousands of legally-obtained visas, per report

MIAMI — The Trump administration is reportedly moving to revoke hundreds of thousands of visas held by people who came to the United States legally but later applied for asylum.

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The move could impact up to 200,000 people, raising questions about what happens to those with asylum cases already pending.

“What the administration is trying to propose is to revoke anyone that came in under a B1, B2 visa and later for an asylum application,” said immigration attorney Maria Vivanco.

In the coming weeks, the U.S. State Department is expected to announce the revocation of those so-called B1 and B2 visas that were issued between 2016 and 2026, whose holders sought asylum or are now seeking asylum, according to new reporting from the Associated Press, which obtained State Department documents and spoke to two U.S. officials familiar with the matter.

“There are many aspects of why someone is filing an asylum application, but the main takeaway is that they’re filing to become refugees of the United States and not go back to their home country, which is the main intent of the B1 and B2 visa,” said Vivanco.

A State Department spokesperson said it’s working with the Department of Homeland Security to identify and revoke the visas.

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Since President Donald Trump took office for his second term, his administration has ramped up restrictions on visa applications.

Legal experts say the revocations would not necessarily result in immediate deportation.

“Just make sure you have copies of everything you filed,” said Vivanco. “Copies of the actual application and you make sure you have those documents with you.”

If this happens, it would be the largest single mass revocation of visas in U.S. history, but it will also likely face legal challenges.

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