The US State Department plans to revoke visas of up to 200,000 asylum seekers who initially came to the country as tourists or business visitors but applied for asylum to stay permanently. The number was mentioned by the White House in a post on X, but is not confirmed by the State Department. According to the State Department, obtaining a visa to seek asylum is considered fraud and grounds for revocation. This move is part of the Trump administration's efforts to reduce immigration into the US.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-26,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
The Trump administration plans to revoke up to 200,000 non-immigrant visas of foreigners who applied for or are seeking asylum in the US. The affected visas, known as B1 and B2 visas, are typically issued for business and tourism travel. According to the State Department, these individuals claimed to be short-term visitors but then filed for asylum to stay permanently. This move would be the largest single mass revocation of visas in US history if carried out. The visa revocations would not necessarily result in immediate deportation, but rather a review process. The Trump administration has been cracking down on immigration, and this latest step is seen as part of that effort. The exact number of visas to be revoked remains uncertain, with the State Department saying it will be done on a rolling basis. This move has raised concerns about the treatment of asylum seekers in the US.
Written for “US Asylum Seeker Visa Policy” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted
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Leaning score +0.85 for article 2629 (high confidence, 2 verified quotes) · logged 2026-08-27
The US government plans to revoke the visas of foreigners who came to the country for tourism or business but sought to stay longer by applying for asylum, the State Department said on Tuesday.
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Department → plan → Tuesday
The crackdown marks another step in the Trump administration’s signature drive to reduce immigration into the United States.
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crackdown → mark → States
The administration said it is now working with the Department of Homeland Security to identify and revoke the visas of people who, it said, came to America billing themselves as temporary visitors but then applied for asylum so they could stay permanently.
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they → say → asylum
“Obtaining a visa in order to seek asylum is fraud — which is grounds for visa revocation,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement that confirmed press reports about the new policy.
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that → obtain → policy
The White House, in a post on X, suggested “up to two hundred thousand visas” would be affected and claimed it would be the “largest mass visa revocation in history”.
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it → suggest → history
The State Department neither confirmed nor denied that number.
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Department → confirm → number
Pigott said, “The number of revocations remains dynamic and will be done on a rolling basis.”
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number → say → basis
Early this month, the department said that since President Donald Trump returned to power in January 2025, some 175,000 foreigners had seen their US visas revoked on grounds ranging from criminal offenses, including driving under the influence, to praising the killing of the right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.
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visas → say → activist
The administration also recently revoked the visas of Mexican officials, including the son of the former president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
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administration → revoke → president
This prompted a complaint from the current president, Claudia Sheinbaum.
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This → prompt → president
Trump, who won reelection in large part on his promise to fight illegal immigration, has expelled huge numbers of people who were in the country without proper residence papers.
But he has also worked to restrict the entry of foreigners who do go by the rules and has gone after those who overstay their visas after they expire.
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they → win → visas
Some of these measures have been challenged and curtailed by the courts.
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Some → challenge → courts
Last Friday a federal judge struck down a government ban on visas to nationals from 75 countries who wish to settle in the country indefinitely.
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who → strike → country
These countries included Afghanistan, Brazil, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, Thailand and Yemen.
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countries → include → Afghanistan
The Trump administration is also planning to expand vetting of the social media accounts of visa applicants.
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administration → plan → applicants
“We are making clear that a visa is a privilege — not a right,” Pigott said on Tuesday.
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Pigott → make → Tuesday
