Trump Administration Wants To Revoke 200,000 Visas From Asylum Seekers. It Would Be The Largest In History.

The U.S. government wants to revoke the visas of 200,000 foreigners who have applied for or are seeking asylum status, according to a new report.

The revocation, which would be the largest ever according to the Associated Press, would target individuals who came to the U.S. on B1 or B2 visas and then subsequently sought to stay by seeking asylum. The administration's action could affect visas issued in the last ten years.

A B1 or B2 visa is issued for foreigners visiting for a short-term stay. The B1 is for business purposes and other matters, such as settling an estate, negotiating a contract, or attending a professional or educational conference. The B2 is issued for leisure stays, like a vacation or to visit family.

The Trump administration plans to assert that the short-term visa system is being misused by some individuals with plans to seek asylum and stay permanently, the New York Times reported.

"Under President Trump and Secretary Rubio's leadership, we are making clear that a visa is a privilege — not a right," Tommy Pigott, a State Department spokesman, said in a statement to the New York Times. "These types of visas are issued with the clear understanding that they are for those who intend to return home."

The outlet reported that State Department is working with the Department of Homeland Security to identify and revoke nonimmigrant visas of foreigners the administration says came to the U.S. under the false pretense of being a short-term visitor, but planned to try to stay in the country permanently.

The effort is unlikely to result in the immediate deportation of individuals and would likely result in court challenges. The wire service noted that some individuals likely to be impacted by the administration's move already had pending asylum cases.

The administration has been critical of the asylum process and what it considers to be abuses of that system.

"People in the US and all over the world are fed up with bogus asylum claims. Asylum isn't supposed to be a loophole to circumvent immigration laws; rather, it's supposed to provide a narrow safe harbor for persons persecuted because of their 'race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion,'" Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau wrote on X Monday.

"But the system has long been swamped by frivolous asylum claims, meaning that it takes years to adjudicate whether applicants are actually entitled to asylum—during which time they can typically work, have children, and otherwise put down roots in our country," he said.