U.S. Plans to Revoke Up to 200,000 B1 and B2 Visas in Single Action

If executed, the revocation would roughly double the approximately 175,000 visas the Trump administration has already cancelled on criminal-activity grounds, marking a significant escalation in...

The Trump administration is planning to revoke approximately 200,000 visas held by foreign nationals who entered the United States on B1 business visas or B2 tourist visas and subsequently applied for asylum, according to reporting by the Associated Press citing two unnamed U.S. officials and documents reviewed by that outlet. The Washington Examiner, citing the same AP reporting, described the planned action as the largest mass visa revocation in U.S. history.

The administration has already cancelled approximately 175,000 visas on grounds related to criminal activity, according to the same AP-sourced reporting. The new planned revocation, targeting an estimated 200,000 additional visa holders, would bring the total number of cancelled visas to roughly 375,000, based on the figures reported.

The specific legal authority the administration intends to invoke for the B1 and B2 revocations was not identified in the available source material. The Immigration and Nationality Act grants the Secretary of State broad authority to revoke visas under 8 U.S.C. Section 1201(i), though any formal legal basis cited by the administration would appear in a federal register notice, agency memorandum, or court filing if the action is challenged.

The plan, as reported, targets a specific subset of B1 and B2 holders: those who filed asylum applications after entering on those visa categories. The total universe of affected individuals and the timeline for implementation were not specified in the available source reporting. It is unknown whether formal revocation notices have been drafted or whether legal challenges have been filed. Any such challenges would appear in federal district court records, accessible through the Public Access to Court Electronic Records system.

What remains unknown includes the precise legal instrument authorizing the action, the agency or agencies responsible for implementation, and whether any congressional notification has been made. A formal Department of Homeland Security or State Department announcement, a federal register notice, or a court filing would be the public records most likely to answer those questions.