KEMETIC MINDS — BREAKING NEWS
August 25, 2026
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is preparing to revoke the business and tourism visas of up to 200,000 foreigners who have applied for or are currently seeking asylum status in the United States, a move that would be the largest single mass revocation of visas in U.S. history and would likely face legal challenges (ABC News, 2026; NBC News, 2026).
Key Facts
- The State Department is expected to announce in the coming weeks the revocation of so-called B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 whose holders have sought asylum or are now seeking asylum, according to State Department documents obtained by The Associated Press and two U.S. officials (ABC News, 2026; NBC News, 2026).
- The action will be taken in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security (ABC News, 2026; NBC News, 2026).
- The revocations would not necessarily result in immediate deportation; most of those with asylum cases currently pending would be recategorized but would lose their status as business or tourism travelers, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because the revocations are not final (ABC News, 2026; NBC News, 2026).
- Since President Donald Trump took office for his second term last year, the administration has steadily ramped up restrictions on visa applicants — demanding more information about their social media histories, requiring the posting of expensive bonds for the processing of visas, and outright banning the issuance of visas to citizens of certain countries (ABC News, 2026; NBC News, 2026).
- Current applicants for B1 and B2 visas are asked to affirm that they will not apply for asylum in the United States (NBC News, 2026).
Administration Statement
“We are coordinating with DHS to identify and revoke the nonimmigrant visas of foreigners who have come to the United States claiming to be short-term visitors, but then file for asylum to stay here permanently,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said (ABC News, 2026; NBC News, 2026). Pigott declined to comment on the number of visas that might be revoked, saying “as the process will be ongoing, the number of revocations remains dynamic and will be done on a rolling basis” (ABC News, 2026; NBC News, 2026).
In a social media post on Monday, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau called out people who he said try to use tourist and business visas to get into the United States and then apply for asylum (ABC News, 2026; NBC News, 2026). “People in the US and all over the world are fed up with bogus asylum claims,” Landau wrote on X. “Asylum isn’t supposed to be a loophole to circumvent immigration law” (ABC News, 2026; NBC News, 2026). Landau cited the case of a Colombian citizen who came to the U.S. in 2015 on a tourist visa and then applied for asylum (ABC News, 2026; NBC News, 2026).
Visa Categories
B1 visas are generally issued for business trips, and B2 visas are generally issued for tourism, family visits or medical care (ABC News, 2026). It was not immediately clear from the documents or the officials how many of these visa holders are seeking or have sought asylum in the United States and would be affected by the revocations (ABC News, 2026).
What’s Still Unconfirmed
The total number of visas to be revoked has not been finalized, and officials said the process “will be ongoing” with the number “remains dynamic” (ABC News, 2026; NBC News, 2026). The State Department has not yet announced the action, and the plan could still be “challenged or revised” before it takes effect (ABC News, 2026; NBC News, 2026). It is also not immediately clear how many of the affected visa holders are seeking or have sought asylum (ABC News, 2026).
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References
- ABC News – Breaking News, Latest News and Videos. (2026, August 24). US set for largest mass visa revocation in history targeting up to 200,000 foreigners, officials say – ABC News – Breaking News, Latest News and Videos. abcnews.com
- NBC News. (2026, August 24). U.S. preparing for largest mass visa revocation in history, targeting up to 200,000 people, officials say. nbcnews.com
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