The Trump administration is preparing a major new immigration enforcement measure that could affect nearly 200,000 foreign nationals who entered the United States on tourist or business visas and later applied for asylum, according to reports.
The move is part of the administration’s broader effort to tighten immigration controls and increase scrutiny of people seeking to remain permanently in the United States after entering on temporary visas.
Recent reports by Fox News and The Associated Press cited State Department documents and officials familiar with the plan.
Under the proposal, the administration is preparing to revoke the visas of people who entered the US on B-1 or B-2 nonimmigrant visas and subsequently filed asylum applications between 2016 and 2026.
The effort is expected to involve coordination between the US State Department and the Department of Homeland Security.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott confirmed the policy to the Associated Press, explaining that some foreign nationals enter the country as temporary visitors and later seek asylum with the intention of remaining in the United States.
He said the State Department is working with the Department of Homeland Security to identify such applicants and take steps to revoke their visas.
However, Pigott did not provide a definitive figure for how many visas will ultimately be revoked.
He said the process is ongoing, making it difficult to give a precise number at this stage.
The planned action could represent a significant escalation in the administration’s efforts to scrutinize asylum claims made by people who originally entered the country on temporary visas.
